Delaware city’s new economic development coordinator came upon his career by accident, but has enjoyed his 17 years in the field.

A 1982 graduate of Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s of science in education, Shannon Hamons had an assistant parks and recreation position lined up in Mansfield after college graduation, but soon found out that the department had been eliminated with budgetary cuts.

A little scrambling found Hamons working as a reporter and photographer at the Willard Times in northern Ohio, which was near his hometown of Plymouth. Hamons continued his journalism career eventually working for the Grove City Record, which was eventually sold to another publishing company. Hamons was part of the business deal as the general manager and spent three years managing editorial, advertising, production and distribution of the 20 newspapers.

Hamons moved on to a dual position in 1992 with the City of Grove City and became the public information officer and development director, a first for the city, for the next six and a half years. He then worked for one year for Upper Arlington and became its first economic development director, creating and implementing the city’s first-ever economic incentive, retention and expansion program and policies.

A Westerville resident inside Delaware County, Hamons became Westerville’s first economic development director in 1999, staying there for the next six years.

“I really liked doing work in Westerville,” said Hamons, adding that he also served on the city’s planning commission.

After 13 years in the public sector, Hamons thought it was time to work in the private sector and obtained a job with Pizzuti Companies as director of special projects for four years. Being disconnected from working with for a community made Hamons long for an economic development position again. This led him to Delaware’s open slot, a position he’s been in for one month today.

“There’s something about working in a community,” Hamons said. “You get a real sense of gratification staying around and seeing things happen over a period of time.”

Hamons joins the county’s economic development director Gus Comstock who previously worked for the city in the same capacity in courting new business to the area. Hamons and Comstock have known each other for several years when they were first in the Mid-Ohio Development Exchange together as young economic development professionals. Hamons is confident that Comstock and he will work well together and said Comstock has been helpful in the transition period.

“Obviously, Gus is interested in bringing as many good jobs to the county as possible,” Hamons said. “We’re not always going to have the same absolute goals and interests. I know I can talk to him about my opinions and they won’t become issues in any way.”

Although Hamons is still getting acclimated, his goals are to add appropriate companies to the city, expand the city’s industrial park in the city’s southwest side, maintain a strong downtown and fill the empty storefronts and keep the residents as employed as possible.

Hamons is about 75 percent finished with his master’s degree in public policy and management from The Ohio State University. He has several hobbies, including photography, golfing, bicycling, writing and reading. He also enjoys World War II aviation and has his basement decorated as such and attends the Westerville Community Church of Christ.

Hamons is married to Colleen; they have two children, Chelsea, 23, and Connor, 19, who both live in the Columbus area.

mmackey@delgazette.com