By Marysville Journal-Tribune Staff

MARYSVILLE — After months of searching, Jerome Township has a township administrator.

The Jerome Township Trustees announced last week that former Bellefontaine Police Department Chief Brandon Standley accepted the position of administrator. He begins his position today, Monday, April 6.

“My expertise in community policing, visionary leadership and consistent professionalism would make me an outstanding choice to begin managing the needs and services of your township,” Standley wrote in a cover letter to the trustees.

Standley spent 28 years with the Bellefontaine Police Department, 12 of which he served as chief.

According to his resume, Standley had been employed by the Bellefontaine Police Department since 1995, following his graduation from OSU in 1994.

From 2006 to 2018 he was also an adjunct professor at the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command, and the School of Police Personnel. Beginning in 2020, Standley was an instructor of New Chief’s Training and First Line Supervisor courses for the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission.

Standley has a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, both in criminal justice.

Jerome Township Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell said Standley’s salary will be $110,000.
In an interview Wednesday, Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis said the township received 69 total applications for the position.

She explained that township officials began advertising the position in late 2022. A conditional offer was extended but fell through, and the township restarted the process.

The second time around, Davis said the trustees reviewed applicants and narrowed the pool to nine candidates that were brought in for an initial interview.

From there, the top four candidates had a second interview and sat in on a panel interview with the township’s department heads, including Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden, Office Manager Debbie Bollinger, Division of Fire Chief Douglas Stewart and representatives from the roads division.

Davis said the department heads felt that Standley was the “most well-rounded” candidate.

In his position as police chief, Davis said Standley faced scenarios ranging from “the mundane to the more intense” and Jerome Township department heads felt he would be able to “pivot and be a great leader” regardless of the circumstances.

Davis said The trustees’ perception of Standley aligned with feedback from the department leaders.

“We were very grateful they saw what we saw,” she said.

She said the trustees felt Standley has a strong work ethic and dedication to his career.

She added that he presented himself as “even keeled” and “non-reactive.”

While Standley’s career experience revolves around law enforcement, Davis said Jerome Township officials see many of his skills as transferrable to the role of township administrator.

She noted that he has experience leading staff and creating a culture among his team, adding that the number he supervised as BPD chief was larger than the number of employees he will oversee at Jerome Township.

Additionally, Davis said, as police chief, Standley regularly interacted with other segments of Bellefontaine’s government, ranging from city council and administrators to the roads division.

Standley also has experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements, Davis said. She added that this knowledge will be valuable as the township prepares to open its second fire station.

Davis said Standley “has his pulse on the growth” in the area, and is familiar with Jerome Township because he has family in the nearby area.

She said hiring a candidate from a nearby municipality was also valuable in that Standley understands Jerome Township’s relationships with other governments and how to maintain them.

Ultimately, Davis said the trustees felt Standley’s background “will lend itself easily to.. earn the trust of the residents.”