OCEAN CITY – City Hall was packed with city officials and employees on Tuesday as City Manager David Recor was sworn into his new post.
“From Fort Pierce, Fla., today is his first official day here at City Hall taking over the reigns as city manager,” Mayor Rick Meehan said as he introduced Recor. “We look forward to his service to our community. He is very well qualified to assume this position. He was a standout in the selection process, and I think we are all very proud to have David here with us.”
Recor started off by thanking the mayor for serving as interim city manager until he filled the position.
“It is a sign of a good leader and a sign of a good organization in how you respond in crisis and this organization certainly responded like no other that I have seen before,” Recor said. “I said that it is an honor and privilege to be named to this opportunity, to this position, and I spoke from the heart. I am from the Eastern Shore, I grew up in Accomack County, and I wanted this job. I made that clear to the Mayor and Council when I interviewed for this opportunity, and I thank them for sticking with me through the thick and thin as we got to this point, and I thank all of you as well.”
Recor furthered that he left a strong and dedicated staff behind in Florida but he is looking forward to the same in Ocean City.
“I haven’t had an opportunity to meet everyone yet … but those I have met I see dedication, I see tenure, longevity, and am very, very impressed with the staff that I have met, and I look forward to working with everyone in the organization,” he said.
Recor said he plans on making his rounds to meet with the many neighborhood associations and organizations in the community. His goal is to schedule at least one meeting a week.
“I know I have to get my feet on the ground first … there are lots and lots and lots of opportunities, and again I just want to thank the Mayor and Council for their confidence,” Recor said.
Meehan took the opportunity to thank those in the room who supported him during his term serving as city manager.
“This is the backbone of our community. These are our city employees, our department heads, and those who work in City Hall and other departments,” he said. “About eight and half months ago, things changed dramatically here in City Hall and I was thrust into the most important position at that time in this city and the first thing I did was reach out to the people in this room and let them know for us to continue to be successful, which we have been, we all needed to re-group, stand strong together and work together and not to miss or skip a beat, but to continue to do what we have always done. Because of their efforts and because everybody did that, everybody worked with the council and stood strong for the last eight and half months we are where we are today.”
Council President Jim Hall spoke on behalf of the City Council and the staff while he thanked the mayor.
“You did an outstanding job,” he said. “You stepped in when we really needed you and really never missed a beat as far as keeping the council informed and up to date as to what you were doing. I know you told me many times you couldn’t believe how many emails you got and much more there was to the job in filling those shoes. So hats off to you, you did a fantastic job and we all are very, very, proud of you.”
Meehan stepped into the interim city manager position when former City Manager Dennis Dare was forced to resign by the majority of the City Council.
Recor was hired in early-May following a lengthy hiring process. Before working in Ft. Pierce in 2005 as its deputy city manager and becoming city manager in 2008, Recor, a credentialed manager with the International City/County Manager Association, was the deputy director of Planning & Community Development from 2003 to 2005 for Fairfax, Va.; planning and land use director for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska for one month in 2003; deputy planning director for Hilton Head Island from 1998 to 2003; director of administrative services for the Desoto County Board of Supervisors in Arcadia, Fla. from 1996 to 1998; growth management administrator for Cape Coral, Fla. from 1993 to 1996; zoning administrator for Culpeper, Va. from 1989 to 1993; and assistant town manager for Chincoteague, Va. for less than a year in 1989.