After more than two months without a city administrator, Herculaneum has hired someone to take on the job.
Logan Jaskiewicz, 29, of Festus was named the new city administrator after the Board of Aldermen voted 3-3 March 7 to hire him and Mayor Ryan Wright voted to break the tie.
Jaskiewicz is set to start his new job on April 28. He will be paid a $90,000 annual salary.
Dusty Hosna was the previous city administrator and resigned in February after less than a year in the job. He, too, was being paid $90,000 a year.
Wright recommended Jaskiewicz for the position and needed the Board of Aldermen to approve the hiring. While Ward 2 Alderman Chris Baker and Ward 3 aldermen Israel Clayman and Todd Hogan voted in favor of hiring Jaskiewicz, Ward 1 aldermen Mike Burlage and Dennis Tesreau and Ward 2 Alderman Norm Seithel voted against hiring him.
Seithel said he voted no based solely on Jaskiewicz’s lack of government work history.
“No experience. That was all there was to it,” Seithel said.
Tesreau said he, too, was concerned about Jaskiewicz’s lack of relevant work experience.
“I voted no because the gentleman who was picked was never a city administrator. He was never a city manager. He had no experience in city government,” Tesreau said.
Jaskiewicz, a 2014 Festus High School graduate, said he attended both Jefferson College and Southeast Missouri State University but discontinued his post-secondary education before obtaining a degree to start working at Sherwin-Williams, where he has been employed for the past seven years. His current position is sales executive.
Many city administrators have either a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in public administration or a related major and often begin work in lower city government positions before working their way up to city administrator, but Jaskiewicz said he is not concerned that any gaps in knowledge he may have will prevent him from performing the job adequately.
“I think I have a lot of resources and I’ll be learning a lot from everybody else around me,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to hold me back by any means with having the resources available.”
Wright said he did not believe Jaskiewicz’s lack of formal education and related government experience would put him at a disadvantage in performing his duties as city administrator.
“Not at all. No,” Wright said.
Some of Jaskiewicz’s duties will include overseeing the city’s daily activities; serving as chief liaison to the mayor and council; preparing the agenda and materials for Board of Aldermen meetings; overseeing the city’s economic development activities and promoting the city to future developers; assuming budget responsibility for all city departments; handling public relations for the city; overseeing the bidding process and contracts for all city projects; overseeing personnel functions for the city, including hiring and firing; and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal law.
Quick turnover
Hosna, who was hired in April 2024, resigned on Feb. 4, after 10 months on the job. Both Hosna and Wright declined to comment on the reason for Hosna’s sudden departure. He had replaced previous City Administrator Jim Kasten, who retired in March 2024, after 16 years in the role.
When looking for a replacement for Kasten, the city put out a job listing for the position and included the following minimum training and experience: five years related experience and or training and a master’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience; six to 10 years of related experience and or training or a master’s degree from a college or university and one to five years of experience; or a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university and two to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience, with a master’s degree in public administration was preferred.
The city received applications from about 20 people for the job, six applicants were interviewed, and three candidates were selected for a second interview in front of the full Board of Aldermen. Wright then recommended Hosna for the position, and then the board was asked to approve his hire.
Like Jaskiewicz’s hiring, Hosna’s was somewhat contentious, with the board twice voting against hiring him. The board deadlocked in a 3-3 vote the first time around, and then the board decided to table a second vote when two board members were absent. The board was deadlocked 3-3 again in the third vote, but Wright cast the tie-breaking vote to hire Hosna.
Those who voted against hiring Hosna said they believed another candidate was better qualified.
Finding a replacement
When looking for someone to replace Hosna, the city posted a job description with less stringent criteria, only requiring the new city administrator to be at least 25 years old and preferring those with five years of related management experience or a business degree from a college or university.
Preferred skills included the ability to provide effective leadership and maintain harmonious relationships throughout city government, as well as extensive knowledge of principles and practices of local management and administration; and knowledge of accounting principles and practices.
Wright said more than 20 people applied for the job, adding that after Hosna’s quick turnover, he was looking for a candidate he thought would be willing to stay in the position for many years to provide stability for the city.
He said some of the people who applied for the job had city administration experience, but he was not interested in any candidates who had a history of changing jobs.
“I was looking for somebody who has a long career in the same place,” Wright said. “It means that they’re usually well liked and well received or do a good job. I truly want someone who is stable in this position.”
Wright said Jaskiewicz’s seven years with Sherwin-Williams was an example of that kind of stability.
“He’s been one spot for a while. A lot of people who applied bounced around a lot, even the ones with experience,” Wright said. “I’m looking for somebody who is going to be a good employee who will stay for a while.”
Wright also said he was not looking for someone with a specific degree or experience but instead wanted to focus on leadership qualities.
“I want someone who is a good leader, a good manager who knows how to work well with people and the government processes,” Wright said. “I’m allowed to appoint anybody. There’s no process required to me by law on how this is supposed to work. I just have to appoint somebody and then have the board approve them.”
Wright said he also was not interested in candidates who wanted a severance package included in their employment contract with the city.
“A lot of people wanted those, and I just want somebody in that position who’s going to work and work really hard,” Wright said.
Tesreau said he did not believe the inclusion of a severance package should be a cause for concern because those packages are commonly included in city administrator contracts.
“They are very typical, quite frankly. Very typical,” Tesreau said.
The employment contracts for city administrators in the three towns surrounding Herculaneum – Pevely, Festus and Crystal City – all include a severance package.
Wright, who graduated from Festus High School two years after Jaskiewicz did, said he did not know him from school but had some previous experience working with Jaskiewicz. Wright is a Realtor with Wright Living Real Estate LLC and a mortgage loan originator with Wright Financial Inc. and encountered Jaskiewicz through their work with contractors.
Wright said those positive experiences put Jaskiewicz on his radar when the city administrator position opened up, and he encouraged Jaskiewicz to apply.
Wright said Jaskiewicz’s experience in sales, budgeting and partnering with area store managers to develop plans to improve profitability and increase sales was a big part of why he wanted him for the job.
“I think he’s going to be a really good asset for economic development with the context he has in the private sector,” Wright said. “He has a really hard work ethic and is really good at sales and making deals. He has a lot of contacts. He works with some really big developers and contractors to put in strip malls and stuff like that to supply paint for all of them. He actually knows a lot of developers because he works with them on a regular basis. He keeps these large contractors using their supplies. So he’s really good around construction people.
“I wanted somebody who had more corporate experience. A lot of the government people we looked at, they’ve been around government stuff, but I think some of what government needs is more kind of corporate experience and some different policies and procedures.”
Wright said he also was looking for a candidate with good character and believes Jaskiewicz has it in spades.
“He’s honest. He’s hard-working. He’s worked his entire life. He’s calm and cool-headed,” Wright said. “He’s got a true servant’s heart.”
Jaskiewicz said he’s ready to start his new job.
“I’ve been in the corporate world for a while, in the private sector, and I want to make a change to help the community and see my work do better things,” Jaskiewicz said. “More than anything I want to serve the people. I want to bring everything I can to the table. In public relations, I’m very transparent. I’m very easy to talk to and communicate with. I want to learn, and I want to be a sponge and do the best I can for the community.”