DAYTON — Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein has announced her intention to retire in March 2027 after more than 30 years of service.
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Dickstein said she started her career with the city on Jan. 26, 1996, as an entry-level Community Development Coordinator.
She progressively advanced through roles as Senior Development Specialist, Special Projects Administrator, and Assistant City Manager before ultimately becoming City Manager.
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Dickstein stated that growing within the organization provided her with invaluable insights into the operations of all 16 departments.
She said this experience afforded her the privilege of building enduring and trusted relationships with neighborhood, business and community leaders.
Dickstein also noted she served with six mayors and 13 city commissioners during her tenure.
“Regardless of the politics of the day, I was proud to work alongside dedicated public servants who were committed to the City of Dayton and its residents – no matter what," she said.
Under her leadership, the city launched Ohio’s first off-site municipal employee clinic, which produced over $30 million in health care savings while improving the health and quality of life for employees.
The City of Dayton attracted over $3.2 billion in community investment during her time, Dickstein said.
This investment included nearly $800 million specifically for housing, which delivered almost 2,000 new units and thousands of rehabilitations. These projects impacted nearly 60,000 jobs.
Dickstein said she worked with other city leaders to establish new institutions and plans that will serve Dayton for decades.
Some of those include a 40-year water contract with Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Convention Facilities Authority, the Dayton Recovery Plan, and more.
Dickstein expressed pride in the operational innovations advanced during her service. These included solar investments and beneficial reuse of wastewater byproducts, which reduced costs to the regional water utility.
Other innovations were the Mediation Response Unit, Community Paramedicine, and the Real-Time Crime Center.
Investments were also made in leadership training, succession planning, and over $400 million in capital equipment, technology, and facilities.
“Serving Dayton has been the privilege of my life,” Dickstein said. She also said she was fortunate to work alongside extraordinary colleagues, teammates, mentors and community partners who shared a vision for the city. “I will leave confident in the strength of our people, the clarity of our vision and the momentum we’ve created together,” Dickstein said.
The City of Dayton will share additional opportunities to recognize Dickstein as her retirement approaches.
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