City administrator named in Ozark

The Ozark municipality has named a new city administrator following the exit of longtime leader Steve Childers earlier this year.

Eric Johnson's appointment was approved by the Ozark Board of Aldermen during its meeting yesterday, according to a news release. He's scheduled to start July 15.

"I am very excited to serve the great community of Ozark as the next city administrator and look forward to working with the mayor, board of alderman and community to realize their strategic initiatives for Ozark," Johnson said in the release.

Johnson has more than 35 years of local government experience, most recently as city administrator of Blue Springs in the Kansas City area. He's been city administrator there for 16 years, and he previously was assistant city administrator for six years.

As city administrator of Ozark, Johnson succeeds Childers, who was hired by the city of Springfield to head its Department of Planning and Development after holding the Ozark job since 2007. Ben DeClue has served as interim city administrator for Ozark.

Johnson was selected from 48 applicants and three finalists who were found through a search process that involved the services of GovHR/MGT, said Maria Neider, communications director for the city of Ozark.

Johnson's annual base salary as Ozark's city administrator will be $170,000, said Neider.