Friends, family and colleagues gathered at Big Oyster Brewery in Milford to say farewell to Mark Whitfield whose last day as city manager with Milford is Friday, June 20. Whitfield has submitted a proposal to council to remain as a contracted consultant until Chris Coleman, the new city manager comes on board August 4. Senator Dave Wilson kicked off the festivities by reading a proclamation from the Delaware State Senate.
“I also have a proclamation from the House, but I am not going to read it since it likely says the same thing that Dave’s says,” Representative Bryan Shupe said. “I want to talk about Mark. I have worked with Mark for much of his tenure in Milford. We have a very special relationship and have had a lot of off-record conversations.”
Shupe continued, stating that there are a lot of conversations that need to be had between elected officials and town management, explaining that those conversations were the “good, the bad and the ugly.” Shupe stated that when met with challenges, he appreciated Whitfield’s honesty and the hard work he did to make the city better. He especially appreciated Whitfield’s help with the playground in Memorial Park, a project Shupe worked on for a long time along with council.
Several other proclamations were read including one from Governor Matt Meyer, International City County Management Association, City Manager’s Association, United States Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation and others.
“I want to thank Mark for his visionary leadership,” Jamesha Williams, Human Resources Director, said. “What Mark has done across the board is create a workforce that works together. He made it clear that there will be no individual department silos and that is what he has done for us, helping us work together so that we become better at our roles at every level.”
After her speech, Williams gave Whitfield a Visionary Leadership Award, recognizing his work at creating a great place to work. She joked that it was such a great place to work, she was constantly getting calls about openings to which she had to reply, “we are not hiring.”
“I entered public service when I was asked to serve,” Councilwoman Nadia Zychal said. “I kind of got sucked into this working with DMI and other organizations in this town. All that said, Milford has open arms. They have a way of sucking you into a vortex of wanting to do more and it has been such a privilege working with Mark, because I came into this not knowing what to expect and he really helped me learn so much about what it is to be on council, the responsibility to the people, the responsibility of making everything work and the need to honor the will of the people.”
Councilwoman Katrina Wilson, the longest serving person on council, thanked Whitfield for his dedication to the city.
“You’ve always been a balanced person, and I appreciate that. I always look at people to see how they navigate through without sweating and you’ve done a lot of navigating, but recently, you have done a lot of sweating,” Wilson said. “You’ve managed it well. I’m just so honored to be able to work with you and under your direction. We put something before you and ask you to take that task. You take it and move forward. I appreciate that, that is how we become a team.”
Wilson also thanked Whitfield for his assistance in hiring the new city manager as his advice and guidance was beneficial in the process.
“It’s not about the money because you’re already making that money,” Wilson said. “And had you stayed, you would be making that plus. I always say when you can look down and see the things that you’ve done, it is incredible. That industrial park is your baby, and I hope that you come back to visit us, to be a part of that as it grows up. We will continue to grow with housing. We will continue because we’ve got this new park. We are blessed to have had you in this role.”
The IT Department presented Whifield with a steppingstone and Steve Ellingsworth, one of the longest serving city employees, commended Whitfield’s leadership.
“I cannot say enough about his leadership and the trust he gave us to make decisions, listen to our needs and give us access to you whenever we need it,” Ellingsworth said.
Finance Director Lou Vitola echoed Ellingsworth’s statements.
“For me personally, you gave me a chance in finance at a time in my career when I probably needed it most,” Vitola said. “You can see traits of leadership in people that are quickly seen. You have the leadership qualities that help people excel, such as forgiveness and grace, so I thank you for that, especially as the city faces some challenges. Some people have book smarts, some people have intelligence, some have common sense. You have all three. You have a way of navigating through some of the most difficult challenges and guiding us in the right direction. I just want you to know that the advice you have given me, it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, it may not be next week, will someday sink in.”
Whitfield thanked everyone for their kind words, stating that he was uncomfortable with the accolades. He appreciated his time in Milford and applauded his staff for making his job easy. He promised to return to Milford when the industrial park was completed to see it providing jobs that would grow the economy in Milford.
