Mike Dattilo will retire sometime in 2015 after a career with the City of Ocean City of more than three decades.
Ocean City Business Administrator Mike Dattilo announced his retirement on Monday.
Dattilo, 54, has worked for the City of Ocean City for more than 35 years in jobs ranging from beach tag inspector to the city's top administrative position. His retirement will be effective at some point in 2015 still to be determined.
"In light of this, I will ask the City Council to consent to my appointment of James Mallon as Business Administrator at their meeting of Dec. 29, 2014," Mayor Jay Gillian said in a news statement released late Monday afternoon. "Mr. Dattilo will continue to serve in my office in the capacity of aide to the mayor until the time of his retirement."
Gillian said he chose Dattilo as business administrator after the 2010 election because of his wealth of experience.
He called Dattilo "one of the city's greatest assets."
"He never looks for accolades or a pat on the back," Gillian said. "He loves Ocean City, and he has a way about him. There's a genuineness. He always treats people with nothing but respect."
Gillian said he'll be glad to have Dattilo on hand for his experience with ongoing projects such as dredging and beach replenishment.
"I have said on many occasions that I feel succession planning is essential for key positions within the city government," Gillian said. "We have done that in this case and Jim Mallon is extremely qualified to assume the responsibilities of the position of business administrator. Appointing him at this time will allow him to assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the city while Mike focuses on completing some important pending projects and objectives of this administration and the City Council."
Dattilo, an Ocean City native who graduated from Ocean City High School in 1979, worked summers on the beach before being hired full-time by the city in 1984. In addition to supervising the beach tag program, he worked in the Tax Office and in revenue collection, before moving up to director of the Community Services Department.
Dattilo said there may be a next chapter in his career.
"But I'm going to take my time," he said. "I'm not exactly sure what it is yet."
He said he's looking forward to retirement but will miss all the people he works with and interacts with.
Mallon, 46, was first hired by Ocean City in 1994 in the Recreation Department. He stayed for eight years before moving on to public and private sector jobs in Pennsylvania. He returned to Ocean City to work as Community Services director from 2010 to 2013.
After a short stint as municipal administrator in Pine Hill, Mallon returned this spring to Ocean City as aide to Gillian.
Mallon, a Buena resident, has a bachelor's degree from Glassboro University
and a master's in public administration from Rutgers.
"I’m in better shape than most business administrators," Mallon said of having Dattilo on hand to help with the transition.
He called it the "dream job" and said in his time in other towns that he's "certainly learned to appreciate how nice Ocean City is."
Mallon said he intends to continue with the city's aggressive capital plan, focusing on roads and drainage, beach replenishment and other infrastructure projects.
"We’re going to continue heading in a good direction," he said.
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