Thursday’s Utilities Commission meeting marked the first for the department’s new assistant superintendent Chad Hess since he joined the department Aug.5, filling the position left vacant by the promotion of Butch Donnalley from assistant superintendent to utilities superintendent last August. Hess brings with him 12 years of experience in municipal utility service having spent the last decade of his career with the New Waterford Utilities Department, serving as their utilities superintendent prior to joining Salem’s Utilities Department. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)
SALEM — The Salem Utilities Commission welcomed the city’s new assistant superintendent in their meeting Thursday.
Chad Hess officially began his new position with the utilities department Aug. 5, filling the position left vacant when former Assistant Superintendent Butch Donnalley was appointed utilities superintendent last August following the retirement of the former superintendent Don Weingart. Like Donnalley before him, Hess brings years of existing experience in municipal utilities experience, having previously served as the utilities superintendent in New Waterford, where he spent the last decade of his 12-year utilities career.
An Austintown native, Hess is a 2004 Mineral Ridge High School alum and current New Waterford resident. Hess said that while he’d enjoyed his time in New Waterford, he is eager to face the new challenges that Salem’s larger department will entail, and to bring the experience he’d gained in his former position with him to Salem.
“[New] Waterford is great but it’s a smaller community and I’m trying to branch out and have some new challenges, and with what I’ve learned in the last 10 years with New Waterford I can bring some experience to the department with me,” said Hess.
Hess said that while he had only joined the department recently, he’d been enjoying his new position thus far and had been familiarizing himself with the department’s leadership and projects, both ongoing and forthcoming.
“It’s been going great, everyone’s been really great to work with. I’ve been learning the way they do things, meeting the department heads, getting caught up on the projects going on and the one getting ready to start,” said Hess.
The utilities commission will meet next at 4 p.m. Sept 19.