Todd Lawson named Sussex County administrator
Sussex County Council has named Todd F. Lawson, 36, as its new county administrator, replacing the retiring David Baker. Lawson, a Sussex County native, is a former Washington, D.C., lobbyist who also worked in the President George W. Bush administration. He is scheduled to start work Wednesday, Aug. 10.
Sussex County Council made the appointment July 26 on the recommendation of the county administrator search committee, which selected Lawson from a field of eight interviewed applicants. In all, 24 applicants with varied backgrounds from across the country submitted resumes for the position following Baker’s retirement announcement in January. He is the county’s sixth administrator.
Lawson, who was born in Milford, raised in the Harbeson area and graduated from Sussex Central High School in 1993, will learn the ropes of the job under Baker for about four months. During the interim period, he will be paid $92,000 a year. When his one-year contract begins, no later than Jan. 1, 2012, he will be paid $102,500.
Lawson, a Republican, said he felt honored and excited to receive the post. “I was honored to be selected by the council and excited to be back to Delaware and serve the citizens of the county, many of whom I call my friends and family,” he said.
He and his family are in the process of relocating from their Arlington, Va., home back to Harbeson. Lawson is married to Stacy, a school teacher, and the couple has two children, Cooper, 3, and Grier, 1. Lawson's family operates Lawson’s Produce and farming operation in Harbeson.
A graduate of the University of Delaware with a law degree from George Mason University, Lawson most recently worked for the communications and marketing firm Russ Reid Co. in Washington, D.C., working on Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of nonprofit groups and municipal clients.
Prior to his work at Russ Reid, Lawson worked in the Bush administration serving as deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There, he was a chief liaison to Congress, responsible for managing personnel and coordinating the department’s programs, including working directly with local governments similar to Sussex County.
“This is my home and where I want to settle down and raise my children. I want to see the county prosper while maintaining our low taxes and exceptional service. We are fortunate to have qualified county staff, and together with the council’s guidance, we will take Sussex County into the future,” Lawson said.
As administrator, Lawson will oversee a $140 million budget and manage a staff of nearly 500 employees. The county administrator is appointed council and is responsible for, among other duties, making recommendations to the county council, preparing and submitting the annual budget and carrying out the policies and laws set forth by the council.
Baker said he is anxious to work with Lawson to introduce him to staff and help him learn how Sussex County government operates.
“The county administrator is a critical position within county government, and you need the right personality in that position to juggle the multitude of daily demands and interests,” said Council President Mike Vincent, R-Laurel. “We believe Todd is that person. He will be a team leader who builds on the great staff we already have in the county, and we look forward to working with him.”
"This is a great opportunity, and I look forward to coming home and getting back into public service," Lawson said.
He said he understands time will be needed for the transition. "This is an experience the county has never gone through before because normally promotion comes from within," he said
