West Virginia – Kimberly Clark will begin as West Virginia University’s next chief information officer on Oct. 12. Most recently, Clark served as deputy chief information officer and chief digital transformation officer at Arizona State University. She previously held senior technology leadership roles at Twitter and Charles Schwab.
Massachusetts – Keith Darling, currently battalion chief for the Franklin Fire Department, has been named Northborough’s new fire chief. Darling, an Army veteran, enlisted with the National Guard shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. That same year, he made the move from working for a private ambulance company to joining Franklin’s fire department.
Louisiana – Rebecca Johnson has been selected to serve as the Iberville Parish School District’s next superintendent. Johnson’s resume includes work as a teacher, assistant principal and principal, as well as a stint as the school district’s executive director of academics. She has also worked for the Louisiana Department of Education.
Kentucky – Jason Wells is retiring as Lexington’s fire chief. A 30-year fire department veteran, he was promoted to chief in 2021, replacing the city’s first female fire chief, Kristin Chilton. His last day with the fire department will be Jan. 10. Mayor Linda Gorton said she expects to name a new chief by early December.
North Carolina – Jon Mendenhall is Kinston’s new city manager following a unanimous vote by members of city council. Mendenhall will start Sept. 28. He previously served as city manager for Eden, N.C., for six years, leaving the position last month. Ralph Clark has been acting as interim city manager since Rhonda Barwick’s retirement in January.
Oregon – Martha Bennett will become Medford’s next city manager. Bennett was previously city manager in Ashland, Ore., for five years and most recently served as city manager in Lake Oswego, Ore., from 2019 until earlier this year. She also spent time as chief operating officer of Metro, a regional government agency that serves multiple cities and counties in the Portland area.
Florida – James Macfarlane II started this week as deputy city manager for Palm Coast. Macfarlane has more than 25 years of experience and leadership in municipal government, public safety, emergency management and organizational administration. Most recently, he served as a captain and division commander with the Columbia County, Ore., Sheriff’s Office.
Kansas – Alex Batstone has been appointed interim chief of the Valley Falls Police Department. His appointment became effective Sept. 16. Batstone has previously served Valley Falls as a police officer. The last police chief, Cody Spire, served in that role for about a year.
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