List of the applicants
Michael Anderson, patrol sergeant, Franklin Police Department (Tennessee)
Alexander Bebris, police chief/direct of public safety, city of Oakwood (Oakwood, Ohio)
Michael Bennett, administrative lieutenant, Pierce Twp. Police Department (Clermont County, Ohio)
Robert Brodnan, former police chief, Zuni Police Department (New Mexico)
Jeffrey Butler, Jr., captain, Cincinnati Police Department
Lynda Carter, undersheriff, Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office (Colorado)
Vincent Demasi, police chief, West Palm Beach Police Department (Florida); former assistant police chief, Cincinnati Police Department
Thomas Doyle, chief ranger, Great Parks of Hamilton County; former police chief for the Village of Greenhills
Frederick Fiebig, professor/site coordinator, Union Institute & University (Cincinnati)
Joel Herzog, police captain, West Chester Police Department
Gregory Lawson, former police chief, Montgomery Police Department (West Virginia)
Jason Lyons, police commander, Castle Rock Police Department (Colorado)
Mark Machan, interim director of public safety, Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio); former police chief of Milford Police Department
Michael McNeely, police chief, Bath Twp. Police Department (Akron, Ohio)
Roy Melnick, police chief, Los Lunas Police Department (New Mexico)
John Powell, principal consultant, Lawn Enforcement Consulting LLC (Alabama)
Jamie Roberto, accrediation program manager, Homeland Security Solutions Inc. (Virginia)
Stewart Steele, police major (division commander), Boynton Beach Police Department (Florida)
Travis Thickstun, public information officer, Indiana State Excise Police (Indiana)
Christopher Williams, superintendent of investigations and administrative services for Dayton Police Department.
James Willock, Jr., police chief, Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District (Canfield, Ohio)
James Wilmeth, undersheriff, Lea County Sheriff’s Office (New Mexico)
Kimberly Nuesse, police chief, Village of Minerva Park (Columbus, Ohio)*
Ian Stegmaier, attorney, Caparella-Kraemer & Associates (West Chester Twp.); former West Chester police officer *
*indicates returned application after deadline
The 22 people vying to be the top cop in Ohio’s largest township include longtime police officers from West Chester Twp., Cincinnati, Dayton and Oakwood.
The position, which can pay more than $100,000 per year, opened in early May when Erik Niehaus resigned to take a position as a partnered attorney with law firm Haughey & Deters. Lt. Col. David Kelly, who was appointed interim chief, told trustees in May that he wished to remove his name from further consideration for the position.
Applying for the position is Capt. Joel Herzog, who has been a member of the West Chester Police Department since 1991, with 19 of those 23 years spent in police supervision.
Others from the region submitting applications include: Alexander Bebris, police chief and director of public safety, Oakwood Police Department; Michael Bennett, administrative lieutenant, Pierce Twp. Police Department; Jeffrey Butler Jr., captain, Cincinnati Police Department; Thomas Doyle, chief ranger, Great Parks of Hamilton County ; and Christopher Williams, major, superintendent of investigations and administrative services, Dayton Police Department.
Also submitting an application was former Cincinnati Assistant Police Chief Vincent Demasi, now police chief of West Palm Beach Police Department in Florida, and Ian Stegmaier, an attorney for Caparella-Kraemer & Associates and a former West Chester police officer from 1995 to 2009.
Stegmaier was one of two people returning an application after the July 11 deadline. The position will remain open until it’s filled, but those late applications won’t be considered unless not enough suitable applicants are present from the initial 22 submitted.
The salary range for the position is $73,600 to $114,252.
Judi Boyko, the township’s administrator, said she was pleased with not only the number of applications submitted, but the caliber of those who applied.
“All of them have unique experience and credentials and I think there are clearly some that are more evident than others,” she said. “I’m comfortable with the number that we received and moving forward and analyzing from that group.”
Boyko said she will now use the assistance of internal and external stakeholders to help whittle down the list of candidates for the position.
Before employment could be offered, each candidate would be required to earn Ohio Peace Officer certification, she said.
Trustees would likely not interview candidates until the third quarter of this year and make their final selection before year’s end, Boyko said.
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