By Mary Owen
After 15 years of service to the Stayton community, Don Eubank is retiring.
“My contract ends June 30, and I want to spend more time with my family and travel,” Eubank said.
Eubank served nine years as Stayton’s police chief, one year as city administrator and public safety director, and more than five years as the city administrator, his current position.
Eubank also served as chair and co-chair of the Fourth of July Committee through the local Lion’s Club. He also helped form Meth Busters, a citizen-based group to prevent methamphetamine and other drug use.
“With the help of great department heads and our citizens, we put in the pedestrian bridge, upgraded the water treatment and waste water treatment plants, and completed the 10th Street project,” Eubank said of the highlights of his career.
Other accomplishments include helping begin mayor and council Town Hall meetings as well as meeting with various boards and committees.
Under Eubank’s leadership, Dave Kinney was hired as the public works director and Louise Meyers as the director of the Stayton Public Library. Rich Sebens was promoted to police chief, Alissa Angelo to deputy city recorder, and Christine Shaffer to finance director.
Eubank also facilitated “movement progress toward a more transparent form of government, and assisted changing ordinance, rules and regulations that are common-sense based.”
“Many other projects were accomplished with the great staff we have,” he said. “My goal when I came to this office was to be more of a facilitator and let the department heads run their departments and assist where I could.”
For Eubank, family first was a priority that he shared with his staff.
“I plan to continue that in my personal life,” he said. “If, after a few months, I get bored with six kids and eight grandchildren, I may work somewhere part time.”
Eubank’s first venture into part-time work started in May when he took a position as marshal of the Santiam Golf Course.
“I guess we are called player’s assistants nowadays,” he said. “Linda, my wife, will not retire until early 2015, so I will also be taking on house husband and grandpa – Papa – daycare now and then.”
Eubank was born in Klamath Falls, attended South Salem High School, spent three years in the U.S. Army, and then attended Chemeketa Community College and Portland State College. He and Linda have six children and eight grandchildren.
Eubank will also putter around the house “fixing those things one seldom seems to find time for,” he said. “We plan to travel across the United States, take the grandkids to Disneyland, spend some time on the East Coast, and take a cruise or two and other short travels.”
His last hurrah to local residents is “to thank them for all they have done to make Stayton a wonderful place to live and raise a family.”
Eubank will be missed by many who have worked with and admired him over the years.
“I have found Don Eubank to be an exceptional city administrator,” said city councilor Emily Gooch. “I have learned much from Don’s leadership during my short time on the council. He will be greatly missed.”
Mary Albert, retired from the Stayton/Sublimity Chamber of Commerce, recognizes the challenges of being a city administrator.
“We all owe a big thank you to Don for his many years of service to our community,” she said. “The role of city administrator is not an easy one. You must not only partner with, but also lead staff, elected officials, government agencies, business and community leaders, and everyday citizens. Don has earned our respect by doing just that during trying economic times.”
Albert said Eubank’s door was always open to all, and that he was truly there to serve. “We will miss not only his leadership, but his friendship,” she said.
Kelly Schreiber, executive director of SSCOC, also called Eubank “approachable.”
“He’s open to listening to ideas and will honestly see if he can help an idea happen,” she said. “He and (North Santiam School District) Superintendent (Andy) Gardner started the Community Leaders Roundtable about a year ago just so people had an opportunity to share about each other’s work and find ways to partner and help each other.”
Schreiber knows Eubank works hard to maintain the spirit of “accentuate the positive,” which “for him is more than just a saying. Not always easy to be positive when you have 7,700 citizens that all have an opinion of how city government should run. We are very fortunate he was willing to ‘retire’ from police chief to city administrator! His leadership will be missed.”
In his dealings with the city, businessman Todd Jensen of Jensen-Kreitzer Family Clothing found Eubank to be a very caring and straightforward person over the years.
“He has been open to differing views on issues and personalities,” Jensen said. “The city was well served during his tenure as both police chief and city administrator. I am sure he will enjoy his well-deserved retirement.”
Eubank’s kudos also came from beyond Stayton.
“Don has been a steady, strong voice in public safety for decades,” said Walt Beglau, Marion County district attorney. “I have always admired his sensible, clear advice, particularly on challenging public safety issues. He has been a ‘go to’ leader.
“For many years, Chief Eubank served as the chair of our Chiefs of Police meeting,” he added. “Whenever we had a significant public safety issue to address, I knew I could count on Don for solid advice..”
Eubank was a lieutenant at Woodburn Police Department when, in 1988, Scott Russell was hired as a recruit officer. Today Russell serves as chief of police, but he hasn’t forgotten Eubank’s role in his career.
“He was instrumental in my being hired as well as my training and development as an officer, detective, and a supervisor for WPD,” Russell said. “I learned a great deal from Don, but no lesson was as valuable as the importance of developing and maintaining a strong relationship with the community you serve.
“Don was active in many service organizations and got to know the members of his community very well,” he said. “Don built that tradition during his tenure here in Woodburn and carried it with him in his transition to Stayton. His public service in both law enforcement and local government was marked by his close personal connections to the communities he served. Don has always been a strong partner for public safety, and I want to congratulate him on his retirement and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Christine Shaffer, finance director for the city of Stayton, said a city council work session will be held on June 3 to discuss filling the position of city administrator.
