Mike Wolanin | The Republic Dave Hayward, executive director of public works for the City of Columbus and city engineer, talks about his time working for the City of Columbus during a farewell ceremony and retirement party for Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Hayward at Columbus City Hall in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.
Former city Executive Director of Public Works Dave Hayward will do some contract work for the city after his official retirement.
The Columbus Board of Works voted on Tuesday to approve an engineering contract with Hayward, the city’s outgoing executive director of public works and former city engineer. According to finance director Regina McIntyre, the contract has a not-to-exceed amount of $50,000.
“He is retiring this year from the city, as you know, and so early next year, we’d like to begin continuing to use his expertise with the engineering department on several named projects,” she said.
Hayward’s service as city engineer spans four administrations and adds up to about 20 years — first from 1991 to 2002, then 2011 to 2013, and finally from 2016 to 2022. He worked for Christopher B. Burk Engineering in Indianapolis in the years between these terms.
Andrew Beckort, formerly the city’s assistant city engineer, took on the role of head engineer in January of 2023, with Hayward staying on until the end of this year as executive director of public works.
Hayward said in a previous interview that having two licensed engineers on the staff at the same time — which has never happened before — provided a unique opportunity to be proactive with succession planning.
“The timing is good,” he said. “First of all, it’s my age and the fact that I’m ready to slow down a little bit but still healthy enough to be active and do some things.”
His retirement comes just a few months before his 70th birthday.
Outgoing Mayor Jim Lienhoop honored Hayward with a proclamation during the city’s Christmas luncheon on Friday.
