Whitfield to retire next May as Milford City Manager

Milford City Manager Mark Whitfield  will retire in May 2025

City Manager Mark Whitfield has informed the Milford City Council that he will not seek a renewal of his contract and will retire next May.

“I originally came to the City of Milford to serve as Public Works Director. My plan at that time was to serve for five years, then retire,” Whitfield said. “That was eight years ago. Upon Eric Norenberg’s departure in 2020, I was asked to take the interim city manager position with the intent that I would not take the position full time. In May 2020, I ended up taking the position with the intent of doing it for two years, so I have been putting off retirement for the past three years.”

Earlier this year, the Delaware League of Local Governments recognized him as the 2023 Delaware City Manager of the Year.

Whitfield said he delayed his retirement mainly because he didn’t want to leave until he had the professional staff in place with the experience to carry on without him.

“There are things I would like to do that I keep putting off, and I am getting to the age that if I don’t do them soon, I may not be physically able to do them,” Whitfield told Milford Live.  “It is really a personal decision for me. It’s always difficult leaving a job that you truly love, but I believe the time is right for me personally.  I also think the time is right for the City,” Whitfield said.

“The department heads have the experience to run their departments without a lot of guidance from me, which should make it easier for a new manager to step in.”

Whitfield highlights accomplishments

As public works director and city manager, Whitfield says he developed a robust capital improvement plan the city is implementing.   From a financial perspective, the city has healthy reserves with good financial policies in place.

“We are carrying out our land use plan with numerous housing development projects underway. We will soon break ground on the Milford Corporate Center industrial park,” Whitfield said. “I expect the Deep Creek Park to come to fruition over the next year.  ”

Whitfield stated that the best part of his job as city manager has been building a great team of employees.

“The city is so blessed with the employees who work here. They care about the city, take great pride in what they do, and have a passion for public service.   I always look forward to department head meetings where we support each other, hear each other’s successes, and listen to each other’s challenges,” Whitfield said.  “We start the meeting with “personal highlights,” so we hear what each person’s children or grandchildren are doing, or what milestones happened, or about their most recent travels.”

The challenges Whitfield faced included long hours and missing things he enjoyed.

“The job can have long hours, and that really has been the most challenging part for me.   It is not uncommon to come to work at 8:30 am and not get home until 9 pm or later,” Whitfield said. “I vowed when I retire, I will never miss another Monday Night Football game. I also vowed that you will never see me at a City Hall attending a public meeting.   I have the greatest respect for elected officials and the time they devote to their positions, but after 44 years of public meetings, I have no desire.”

After retirement…

Whitfield is looking forward to spending more time with family. He said he is blessed to still have both his parents and the ability to help them when he can.

“I also want to do some traveling. It has been six years since I was last in Europe. I have friends in Poland with whom I am looking forward to spending time,” Whitfield said. “I plan to spend my winter months in Florida. After dealing with central Pennsylvania snow and Delaware’s windy, cold winters, I want to be where it is warm. At some point, I may consider being an interim city manager or interim public works director at a location in transition.”

Whitfield’s advice for his replacement started with valuing city employees and their opinions and supporting them in any way because they will “always have your back.”

“Be a good listener and mediate. Understand each side’s perspective on issues and problems, then find the middle or common ground,” he added. “For every problem, there is a solution. For every challenge, there is an opportunity. Work toward accomplishing the goals set forth in the strategic plan and by Council. Get considerable input from the citizens [and] develop the strategic plan for moving the city forward. The next city manager must work toward accomplishing those goals.”

Whitfield stated that Council had been very supportive of him over the past five years so he did not want to give only 90-day notice of his departure. He wanted to provide ample time for Council to go through the search process for a city manager, and if a selection is made before he leaves, he will be able to spend some time with the manager before he leaves.