Medina officials say goodbye to Mayor Dennis Hanwell after 42 years of public service

MEDINA — After 42 years of public service, Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell attended his final Medina City Council meeting in his position as he prepares for retirement at the end of the year. Council held its final regular meeting of the year on Monday, which gave the city's department heads and the Council members a chance to reflect on those leaving their positions. Besides Hanwell, it was also the final meeting for Councilman-at-Large Paul Rose before his retirement and for Ward 4 Councilman Jim Shields before he becomes mayor in January. Hanwell started his 42-year career in Medina within the police department, holding several positions before becoming police chief. Hanwell then became mayor, serving for 16 years. "I'm thankful for the cooperative and collaborative relationship with the Medina City Council the past 16 years," Hanwell said. "When I was elected and had not taken office yet, I was told it was not possible to have a positive relationship between the Council and the administration. We have together proved them wrong." Hanwell's hope is that the collaboration between Council and the city's administration continues on, stating it is beneficial to all. When it was time for each department head to speak, everyone expressed their appreciation for Hanwell and his commitment to the city. Medina Police Chief Ed Kinney said Hanwell hired him when he was still serving as police chief in 1997 and then promoted Kinney to police chief later on. Kinney said Hanwell has done amazing things for both the police department and the city, noting that he is a tough act to follow. Parks and Recreation Director Jansen Wehrley said Hanwell has been an exceptional leader and mentor, thanking him for the opportunity to join the administration. "(What) I've taken away from your leadership is to try and look at everything from each and every angle possible, to put yourself in people's shoes," Wehrley said. "That has proven to work well time and time again through what I do every day." Later in the meeting, all the Council members spoke of Hanwell's leadership, thanking him for his time as mayor and reflecting on their experiences with him. Shields, who will become Medina's mayor at the start of the year, said that Hanwell has made an incredible impact on the city. He noted that for all people admire and respect about Hanwell, there is so much more he does quietly and behind the scenes for the community. Shields joked that the city would need to hire more sanitary workers, as Hanwell would go out every day and pick up trash around Medina's square. "(That's) just one of those little things where he cares so much about every little aspect of the city," Shields said. "That's what makes you such an effective leader and somebody that all of us, we need to be thankful for." Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.