The Delaware County Board of Commissioners today announced the hiring of Tracie Davies as the new County Administrator. Davies, who has served as the Director of the Public Utilities Department for the City of Columbus since 2016, will begin her new position Nov. 29, 2021.
“This is an exciting day for Delaware County,” said Gary Merrell, president of this year’s Board of Commissioners. “As we evaluated potential candidates, the name ‘Tracie Davies’ kept coming up. Every comment we heard from others spoke of her leadership, her unquestionable experience, and of her being a team player and a quality person. This hire—and our future hires—will position us well for the next decade.”
Davies, 49, succeeds Michael Frommer as County Administrator. Frommer left Sept. 3 to join engineering firm MS Consultants. Davies, as the head of Columbus’ Public Utilities, has overseen a workforce of more than 1,200 employees. Delaware County employs about the same number of employees with more than 450 reporting to the Commissioners. In 2021, the Commissioners oversaw a general-fund budget of $119 million.
Prior to her appointment as Director of Public Utilities, Davies served in a variety of roles for Columbus, including as Assistant Director of Development. She also has worked for the cities of Marysville and Gahanna, in public-service departments for both. Davies earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from The Ohio State University. A resident of Genoa Township in Delaware County, Davies also has served on the County’s Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Said Commissioner Barb Lewis: “Tracie Davies is one of the most admired, experienced and successful public agency directors in Ohio. I am excited to welcome her aboard as Delaware County’s new administrator and look forward to supporting her leadership in the coming years. An added plus: She and her family are county residents, so she already knows our county well.”
Commissioner Jeff Benton added: “Tracie Davies possesses qualities that will help us continue our focus on smart growth in Delaware County. Whether it is her demonstrated leadership and collaboration skills or the expertise and existing relationships she brings, we feel she is truly the best person for this important job.”