Ferndale Makes Joe Gacioch City Manager
(City of Ferndale, May 2, 2019)
Ferndale, MI—The City of Ferndale is pleased to announce that Interim City Manager Joseph Gacioch has been offered the position permanently after City Council unanimously voted to name him as Ferndale’s new City Manager.
“Joe’s deep knowledge of Ferndale government operations and our strategic direction, together with his solid project management experience, helped him stand out from a very talented group of applicants for the position. Ferndale continues to be a destination for professionals looking for an innovative and successful work environment, and Joe is a great fit to lead that team into the future,” said Ferndale Mayor David Coulter
Gacioch joined the City of Ferndale in 2012 serving as Project Manager for a year before taking on the role of Chief Innovation Officer in 2013. He was appointed Assistant City Manager in 2015 under former City Manager April Lynch.
Over the past 7 years, Gacioch has led several important initiatives including: the Development on Troy (The dot)—the City’s first mixed-use parking structure which broke ground in February 2019;  SeamlessGov, the ongoing effort to digitize the City’s forms and services; and, the updating of City Council’s strategic planning process.
Gacioch was named Interim City Manager after former City Manager April Lynch stepped down in February of 2019 to pursue a position with University of Detroit Mercy as Associate Vice President for Human Resources.  During this period, Gacioch had an opportunity to work more closely with City Council and community stakeholders, demonstrating his commitment to the community and civil servant expertise.
The City received applications from 46 qualified candidates. City Council reviewed the applications in closed session at the applicant’s requests with the recruiter, GovHR, and Human Resources Director Dan Jacey, and were impressed with the quality of candidates who were interested in the Ferndale City Manager position.
During the meeting on April 30, 2019, City Council unanimously voted to offer Gacioch the position of City Manager and authorized the City Attorney and Mayor to negotiate and draft employment terms with Gacioch. It is expected a draft employment agreement could be presented for consideration to City Council during their meeting on Monday, May 13, 2019; if so, Gacioch would begin his tenure on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.