HOPE — A former public official from Anderson will begin work Monday as the new Hope town manager.
Frank Owens, 53, will be Hope’s first town manager since the town council voted 3-2 not to renew the contract of former town manager J.T. Doane on Dec. 18, 2018. Doane had served nearly two-and-a-half years overseeing and managing the town’s day-to-day operations for two-and-a-half years before he was forced to resign.
After receiving resumes from about 50 applicants, the Hope Town Council unanimously chose Owens during their Monday meeting, city council member Clyde Compton said.
Born and raised in Anderson, Owens, a Purdue University graduate, has several years experience working in government.
He spent four years as the building commissioner for the City of Anderson, working for then-mayor Kevin Smith. Owens also worked three-and-a-half years for the commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, as director of registration and later as the director of strategic development.
In the spring of 2019, he was appointed town manager for Ingalls, a community roughly the same size as Hope that is located in Madison County.
Owens also worked 10 years in manufacturing for General Motors, which once had about 20 GM plants in Anderson before they began to close, demolished or sell their plants to other companies.
Owens said he’s looking forward to getting to know the people of Hope, as well as gaining a better understanding of the challenges that lie ahead down the road.
“I’m also looking forward to seeing what the possibilities are,” Owens said. “I think there are a lot of great things that we can accomplish.”
Like a mayor, a town manager is essentially the chief administrative officer of community government. But unlike a mayor, the manager is a municipal employee who serves at the pleasure of the town council.
Without a town manager, Clerk-Treasurer Diane Burton and Town Marshal Matt Tallent have been taking care of responsibilities beyond their job descriptions, council president Jerry Bragg said earlier this month.
A number of these tasks will be handed over to Owens, which Bragg said will take considerable pressure and stress off the other two administrators.
Compton adds he believes a key responsibility of a town manager should also be seeking grant funds, as well as being both prepared and available if economic development possibilities arise.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Frank Owens ” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 53
Hometown: Anderson
Education: 1986 graduate of Anderson High School. Received undergraduate degree from Purdue University, and completed MBA studies though Ashford University, an online university affiliated with the University of Arizona Global Campus.
Work experience: Ten years with General Motors, former building commissioner with the City of Anderson, director of strategic development with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and former town manager for Ingalls in Madison County.
Children: Emily, 23, and Ashlynn, 15.
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