By 1808Delaware
On Monday, Delaware City Council selected Matthew McClellan to fill the vacant 3rd Ward seat left by Cory Hoffman.
Seven residents had stepped forward. By the end of the evening, council made a choice that says something clear about what it values right now: experience in economic development at scale. This was not a ceremonial appointment. It was a decision about direction.
A Competitive Field
The applicant pool reflected a wide range of backgrounds:
- Charis Bell, cosmetologist and hairdresser
- Brooke Diedrich, owner and CEO of a Delaware auto repair shop
- Jacob Jenkusky, executive at a local manufacturer
- Matthew McClellan, Assistant Director at the Ohio Department of Development
- Daniel Sanchez, independent consultant
- Joy Scott, retired
- John Silvestri, project manager and financial analyst
That diversity matters. It signals civic engagement. It also underscores that the 3rd Ward seat was viewed as consequential.
After an opening round of interviews, councilmembers narrowed the field to two finalists: McClellan and independent consultant Daniel Sanchez. The final decision came on a 4–2 vote Monday night.
McClellan will be sworn in at the next council meeting, scheduled for February 23.
From Statewide Development to Ward-Level Representation
McClellan has served as Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Development since September 2020. In that role, he provides operational and strategic leadership to nearly 300 staff members who administer more than 90 economic and community development programs, with an annual budget of roughly $4 billion.
Before that, he was the department’s Policy and Communications Chief.
Those figures are not just résumé lines. They represent hands-on experience with workforce initiatives, infrastructure funding, business expansion efforts, and community revitalization programs that shape cities across Ohio.
Delaware sits in a fast-growing region. Development pressure, housing demand, infrastructure capacity, and quality-of-life questions are all part of the local conversation. Choosing someone who understands how state funding flows and how development strategy is structured is a practical move.
The transition now is from macro to local. From statewide policy to ward-level concerns. That shift will define how this appointment plays out in the months ahead.
For now, Delaware’s 3rd Ward has a new representative with deep experience in the machinery of economic development. And council’s 4–2 vote makes clear that, at this moment, it believes that kind of experience matters most.
