Noblesville sacks economic development director

Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear has fired the city’s economic development director, Kevin Kelly, after Kelly had
been on the job for about two years.

Kelly couldn’t be reached for comment. But Ditslear said they split
over management styles.

“We don’t like to do that,” Ditslear said. However, “Certainly
in our mind it was significant.”

Ditslear wouldn’t elaborate on the differences, but described his
own style as that of a team player.

Ditslear credited Kelly with improving Noblesville’s relations with the
Indiana Economic Development Corp. and other economic development agencies after Kelly’s predecessor, Chris Hamm, focused
on establishing an industrial park that included space for offices and housing.

Those relationships helped Noblesville
land SMC when the Japanese maker of pneumatic-controlled manufacturing equipment moved its North American headquarters from
Indianapolis this summer.

It isn’t often that a public official cans an economic development chief. What
are your thoughts?