Police Chief Troy Bacon and Building and Zoning Inspector Sam Payne are retiring from their leadership roles within the McBarnes administration, effective July 1, 2020 and March 1, 2020, respectively. Human Resources Director Jack Dodd has resigned to accept the position of human resources director for the City of Kokomo on January 1, 2020.
In announcing these three changes within his leadership team, Mayor Chris McBarnes expressed his appreciation to each department head for their talent, hard work and caring dedication to the community, Frankfort residents and city employees.
“Retiring from our police force next July, Chief Bacon has been instrumental in leading the department emphasizing community policing in working hand-in-hand with our residents, obtaining various grant funding for programs and services and working diligently every day to make Frankfort the safest community possible.
“His valuable public safety leadership and the hard work and unflinching commitment of our entire police force resulted in Frankfort being ranked as Indiana’s 8th safest city in 2019. I am extremely grateful to Troy for his eight years of service to our team and to our city and we wish him well in his retirement,” McBarnes said.
“For over 20 years, it has been my distinct pleasure serving alongside a remarkably dedicated and talented group of men and women who on a daily basis demonstrated impeccable commitment to our community. Serving as Chief for the last eight years under the leadership of Mayor McBarnes has been a remarkable and unforgettable experience. I am grateful for his commitment and supporting me and the men and women of the Frankfort Police Department.
“I would like to express my deepest heartfelt gratitude to Mayor Chris McBarnes for giving me this wonderful opportunity to work alongside him and lead the Frankfort Police Department. Police work is a tough profession and I rest easy knowing our city has the best officers in the State of Indiana. They are truly Frankfort’s Finest,” Bacon said.
Bacon will continue to serve as police chief until the beginning of April at which time he will take vacation time until his official retirement July 1. Beginning in April, Deputy Police Chief Scott Shoemaker will take the reins of the department. More details will be provided at that time regarding Shoemaker’s new leadership role.
Leading up to his March retirement, Payne will have served the city and its residents for more than 12 years.
“Sam is someone folks have relied on as they work to improve or make repairs to their homes, to develop their property and to conduct inspections on the largest of projects such as Frito-Lay and Donaldson. I thank him for his many years of service and his commitment to building a better Frankfort and keeping our residents safe when it comes to building codes and all that goes into property maintenance,” McBarnes said. “We wish him the very best in his retirement.”
A lifelong Frankfort resident and Navy veteran, Payne worked for ALCOA for 30 years before becoming a city employee. He was hired under former Mayor Don Stock and worked four years under former Mayor Chris Pippenger before joining the McBarnes team eight years ago.
While looking forward to retirement, Payne said the hardest part will be leaving his co-workers. “The hardest part of leaving is walking away from co-workers who feel like family. I’ve had the privilege of serving the city with the best team of people I’ve ever worked with.”
Hired in 2017, Dodd was the city’s first human resources director. With assistance from Clerk-Treasurer Judy Sheets, Dodd built the department from the ground up, providing a solid foundation for the administration of employee benefits and wellness programs. He was instrumental in the implementation of a partnership with IU Health, Clinton County and Frankfort Municipal Utilities that brought an employee wellness clinic to Frankfort this year.
According to McBarnes, Dodd has left a lasting legacy in Frankfort.
“I fully support Jack’s decision to return to Kokomo and help the new administration there achieve great things. Our loss is their gain. We wish Jack the very best in all his future endeavors.”
Reflecting on his departure, Dodd noted, “I’ve been fortunate to work with many wonderful people throughout my career, but the people I’ve worked with here in Frankfort have been more like family than co-workers. I take pride in having played a small role in ensuring our city employees have good benefits and a clear understanding of city policies and procedures.”
Sheets is sorry to see Dodd go saying, “We have benefitted greatly from his many years of experience in HR. He has been an enormous help in developing a strong human resources department and he truly will be missed.”
With leadership changes common as administrations begin another term, McBarnes is exploring options for Payne’s replacement and has initiated a search process for Dodd’s role.