Sheffield Lake Mayor Rocky Radeff introduces two new hires for his cabinet

Following his swearing-in ceremony Jan. 1, new Sheffield Lake Mayor Rocky Radeff made a few changes to his staff.

Many of former mayor Dennis Bring’s cabinet members will stay with the city for Radeff’s first term, including Pat Hastings, the city’s longest-tenured employee.

Radeff called Hastings “a wealth of knowledge” and wanted to keep him on the staff as he navigates this first term.

Hastings has served in a variety of positions throughout Sheffield Lake for a grand total of 38 years, according to Radeff.

“Pat is fantastic,” Radeff said. “Pat has lived in Sheffield Lake forever, and he’s very knowledgeable, not only of the service department, but of the city as a whole.

“I totally want to make sure that he continues to enjoy his job.”

Radeff said his goal with the new staff members was to keep as many of them as he could in the interest of continuity within the city.

He emphasized keeping the balance of having enough staff, while also keeping the cabinet and the city financially stable.

“My overall plan was take the first year, evaluate everyone and then decide who’s going to be able to fit within my overall plans for the city,” Radeff said. “That was how my mindset is.

“I think there’s a lot of positions that are on the books, that haven’t been filled.”

Still, the new mayor had to make two replacement hires.

One was hiring former Lorain City Councilman Mitchell Fallis as Sheffield Lake’s new finance director.

Radeff said Fallis’ extensive knowledge of financial ins and outs throughout Lorain County made him an exceptionally valuable asset to the city.

“He’s been a CPA for 30 years,” the mayor said of Fallis. “He was on council in Lorain, so he definitely understands how council and finance work.

“His knowledge and background in finance is just great to have.”

Radeff explained that finance positions notoriously are difficult for mayors to fill, and he is thrilled to have Fallis join his cabinet.

The mayor also hired attorney Joe LaVeck, who has practiced law for both Lorain and Wellington, as well as private practice throughout the area, as the city magistrate.

“I worked with him in Lorain for the last couple years; he’s very knowledgeable,” Radeff said. “Just knowing him personally, me and him think very much alike on our views on prosecution, which was very important.

“He’s a representative of me, and I want to make sure whoever’s in there, is representing me to the best of their ability.”

As Radeff moves through the opening month of his first term, he said the first week has been a success.

As he continues to meet with city employees for the first time, Radeff said the goal is to make sure everyone is consistently on the same page.

Radeff said that throughout his term, he will continue to focus on communication responsiveness, parks and recreation, and city beautification.

“So far, the first week has been well,” he said of his tenure. “I’m only as good as my workers.

“They’re the ones that make me look good, so making sure that they feel appreciated, and that they’re being treated properly and treating each other properly, is very important.”