The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Bill Marshall to fill at-large Council seat

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert County Republican Central Committee chose retired executive recruiter Bill Marshall to fill Fred Fisher’s unexpired term on Van Wert City Council during a meeting held Thursday at The Hotel Marsh.

New Van Wert City Council at-large member Bill Marshall. Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent
New Van Wert City Council at-large member Bill Marshall. Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent

Marshall was one of five candidates interviewed by the Central Committee for Fisher’s at-large Council seat. Fisher was chosen to replace First Ward Councilman John Marshall, who resigned in September because of health concerns.

“I’m thrilled,” said Marshall, while noting he felt there were several good candidates for the Council position. “There were some fine people.

“I look forward to the challenge that we have ahead,” Marshall added. “I have a learning curve, but I think I have a pretty good idea of where the city’s going and where I want it to go, along with the other members of the Council.”

One benefit of the new at-large Council member is his grasp of local economic development, which stems at least partly from his involvement in the search for a new city-county economic development director. Marshall, who had nearly 20 years as an executive recruiter — including operating his own executive search company for 11 years prior to his retirement in 2012 — said he approached Mayor Jerry Mazur several months back to offer his assistance in helping the city and county find a development director.

“We’ve interviewed a ton of people, and we have some really good candidates,” Marshall said of the director’s search, while also noting he has learned a lot about the economic development process himself while helping in the search.

The new City Council member said he especially learned a lot from attending an economic development conference while being involved in the development director search — knowledge that should help him while serving on Council.

One thing Marshall said he learned was that retaining companies is at least as important as finding new ones interested in locating here.

“We’re not going to go forward unless we look at our workforce and the businesses we need to attract in here, but we can’t forget the businesses that are here,” Marshall noted, while adding that development is a long-term process. “If people think economic development happens overnight, it doesn’t.”

Marshall, who was born in Union Township and graduated from Crestview High School in 1963, also attended International Business College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Marshall is also a veteran of the United States Air Force who served in Vietnam.

Prior to his career as an executive recruiter, Marshall had a successful retail sales career that stretched over nearly three decades, including 20 years as West Coast District sales manager for Hanes Knitwear in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He also worked in San Francisco, California, and in Sydney, Australia.

Marshall said that, after retiring, he and his wife, who are both from the Van Wert area, decided to return to this area, with Marshall noting that former mayor and Councilman Louis Ehmer, who was a neighbor, suggested that he get involved in community service.

“I was interested,” Marshall said. “I feel that, if you live in a city, you should give back to it.”

Marshall will take over Fisher’s at-large City Council seat at the December 12 meeting. The term will expire in December 2017, meaning he would have to look at running for election in the primary and general election next year.

POSTED: 12/02/16 at 9:26 am. FILED UNDER: News