The second floor Fishers City Hall office once occupied by former Community Development Director Tom Dickey now has a new person at the desk, Fishers’ first Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath. She has only been on the job a few days but plans to hit the ground running.
It didn’t take Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness long to realize the new city was growing too fast for one person to oversee the entire municipal operation. When Tom Dickey decided to accept a job in the private sector, Fadness made his move to reorganize the city staff. McGrath was brought in to formulate the city’s first comprehensive plan. She will oversee many important functions of city government, such as communications, planning and zoning.
When I asked McGrath what her first priority will be in her new position, she looked at Mayor Fadness and nodded her head in his direction. She is clearly taking her cues from the mayor for guidance on how to handle her responsibilities.
The city’s first comprehensive plan will be at the top of McGrath’s to-do list. She also wants to get the word out about Fishers. “It’s important that we tell our story” McGrath said. She believes the best way to move forward is to collaborate with her fellow city workers.
After a stint working for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, the deputy mayor can draw on her experience in seeing how local governments throughout the state have handled issues such as those facing Fishers. McGrath says her experience in working to find a consensus with such a diverse organization of cities and towns will be a big help to her in bringing people together toward a common goal.
She admits not always taking her time with a task ahead, always wanting to move forward. But McGrath says she is learning the importance of patience in her new position.
Leah McGrath is clearly ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work in her new job. She has the solid support of Mayor Fadness. At this point, it appears that Leah McGrath and the City of Fishers will be joined at the hip for many years to come.
