Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - There is No Other Tom Hedges Out There Retirement - 1/1/2013(I� TRU"I FEEL SORRY FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS 18SUCCEED
TOL. " HEDGES. IT'S NOT GOING TO . Dakota County Commissioner Tom Egan
JOEL KOYAMA - jkoyama @startribune.cont
Eagan City Manager Tom Hedges has shepherded change and growth in the city for the last 36 years and is regardly highlyby administrators in other metro -area cities.
rn a S 3 f i U/t R •
, _
a At age 64, the Eagan administrator says it's time
to retire, leaving the city to replace one of the most
respected city managers in the field.
13y LAURIE BLAKE
Iblake @s tartribune.com
When the longest - tenured city
manager in the state retires in Feb-
ruary after 36 years with the city
of Eagan, he'll leave a bole that few
could hope to fill.
Tom Hedges, the only city admin-
istrator in EagaWs history, is so well
known, so well lilted and respected,
that other city managers applaud his
career and city officials only reluc-
tantly accepted his departure.
"I truly feel sorry for the person
who has to succeed Tom Hedges,
It's not going to be easy," said Da-
kota County Commissioner Tom
Egan, who worked with Hedges for
21 years as an Eagan council member
and mayor.
The city administrator is the top
non - elected official in city govern-
ment, often likened to the CEO of a
city. Riding out 30 years of changing
mayors and council members, Hedg-
es presided over Eagan's growth from
rural farm fields to a booming sub-
urb.
The politics weren't always easy,
"but Tom was always the calm, cool,
collected voice of reason," said Edina
City Manager Scott Neal on his blog.
"You can't stay in this line ofwork for
36 years in one town if you're not all
those things — and more."
"He has just done an outstand-
ing job," said Maple Grove City Ad-
ministrator Alan Madsen. "Tom is a
very ethical man. Very principled.
He sets the bar very high for the
rest of us."
Fledges continues on N3'-
FAREWELL
PARTY
A community retire-
ment party honoring
Hedges is set for 4:30 to
8:30 p.m. Feb.7 with a
Program at 6:30 p.m, at
the Eagan Community
Center.
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