Council member Nathan Painter wraps up his second term of office this evening and says he is looking forward to more time focusing on family and work.
Painter, who chose not to run for a third term of office, will be replaced in January by first-time Council member Cynthia Vermillion.
“I first got on Council because I wanted to try to do some good things and be involved in the City,” Painter said. “I thought that I could bring some valuable insights to Council, to help with economic development efforts and work to improve infrastructure.”
Painter said there are many projects he looks back on proudly, starting with the Giant Eagle and LG Commons development. He said the groundwork that has been put in place for eventual development of the Grener Sports Complex will result in a very valuable asset to the City, as will construction of a citywide fiber optic network.
He also cites development of parkland in Old Hilliard as something that will leave a lasting positive impact on the community.
But a position on City Council can be a significant time commitment, and Painter said he felt this was a good time to step back to focus on other things.
“Other than working and hanging out with my kids, I have made the pledge that I will not participate in any activity until March 2021, which is when I turn 42,” Painter said. “That will give me a 15-month break with nothing set in stone.”
He said the new City Manager, City Council and the Administration have important challenges to address. The City is in a good position if the right decisions are made, he said.
“I think the question that has to be asked is, ‘Do they want to reach out and grab hold of it?’ I think to be as successful as Hilliard can be, the City is going to have to understand that the region is changing,” he said. “There’s going to be more people. The region will keep growing. The demographics are changing. Housing styles are changing. Technology is changing. There will be greater pressures on suburbs. If you don’t control that, it’s going to control you.”
Painter is the founding member of Painter & Associations, Attorneys at Law, LLC. He has served as a magistrate for the City of Hilliard and is former member of Hilliard’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
He holds a JD, magna cum laude, from Capital University Law School; an MBA from Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University; and a bachelor’s degree in English, magna cum laude, from OSU. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus Bar Association and the Erie County Bar Association.
