Interim Village Manager Appointed
August 21,2013
Boyd A. Loving
10:58 AM
Long time Ridgewood Village Clerk Heather A. Mailander was unofficially appointed Interim Village Manager during a Special Public Meeting of the Village Council last night.
Ms. Mailander will begin her interim assignment after the departure of Village Manager Ken Gabbert on August 31. Gabbert’s employment with the Village was terminated by a 3-2 vote of the Village Council last week.
Compensation details, most likely in the form of a stipend, for Mailander’s temporary assignment are still being worked out.
Ms. Mailander previously served as Interim Village Manager in 2009 following the retirement of James Ten Hoeve and prior to the appointment of Ken Gabbert. That interim period lasted approximately 5 months.
Finally; a sensible decision from the Council.
Why not just make her permanent manager?
#2 – It’s much more difficult to fire a long term employee. Best to bring someone in from the outside and when there is a shift in the political direction of the Council, they can easily be dismissed (as in the case of Gabbert).
Why is she capable enough to fill in but not to actually be appointed to the position. Another woman running a dept and not being recognized. She is better than Gabbert and Ten Hoeve
Heather Mailander would make an excellent choice for Village Manager. She is highly capable, has a tremendous work ethic, she knows the town and she well respected and liked by both Village employees and residents. Most importantly she has good common sense………..which is in short supply in Village Hall.