Scott Willis has named Washington Township Trustee Danielle Carey Tolan to lead his transition team as he prepares to step into the Westfield mayor’s office starting in January.
Tolan, a lifelong Westfield resident, is serving her third term as trustee and will be tasked with leading the transition team, which will focus on economic development, public safety, infrastructure, the environment and community engagement. Willis serves on the Westfield City Council and defeated two challengers, Jake Gilbert and Kristen Burkman, in the May 2 primary election for the Republican nomination.
No challengers filed by the July 3 deadline to run against Willis in the Nov. 7 general election, paving the way for Willis to become Westfield’s next mayor. Republican incumbent Andy Cook declined to run for a fifth term.
Willis lauded Tolan for her professional background and experience working in the government and nonprofit sector, noting that she has served on several boards and committees in Westfield, Hamilton County and the state of Indiana.
“Danielle has proven her stewardship of not just our township, but various community and state initiatives. She is an agent of change with outstanding organizational skills,” Willis said.
Willis also said Tolan “brings a wealth of institutional knowledge of Westfield.”
“Her relationships in our city span five generations, and she is a well-respected member of our community,” Willis said. “It was important to me that my go-to person be someone who will first and foremost always have Westfield’s best interests in mind.”
Tolan looks forward to working with Willis and his transition team moving forward.
“I see this role as both a privilege and a profound responsibility to serve the citizens of the city of Westfield in a transparent and meaningful way and I am looking forward to starting out work as soon as possible,” she said. “I’m excited to work with mayor-elect Willis and the transition team on the path forward.”
Willis said earlier this year that if he was elected as mayor of Westfield, transparency and communication would be among his focuses. Westfield is Indiana’s fastest growing city and grew nearly 8 percent last year, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released in May.
“It is my hope that every resident of our city will be a collaborative voice in Westfield’s future,” Willis said.
