Finding Dorian: Director of Central Services named interim city manager of Hannibal

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Current and prospective members of the Hannibal City Council have expressed repeatedly in the last several days that it will be difficult to find a replacement for City Manager Lisa Peck, who abruptly announced her resignation last week.

Their ideal candidate, however, might not have been as difficult to find as they initially anticipated. 

The council voted to name Andy Dorian as interim city manager at a special closed session meeting Tuesday night. An employee of the city since 2007, Dorian became Hannibal’s director of parks and recreation in 2010 and the director of Central Services in 2019.

“Everybody kind of knows me and knows that it’s about the work. It’s about getting things done, so I think that’s what most people expect,” he said.

Though he’s the city manager on an interim basis, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of making it a more permanent position.

“We’ve had discussions,” he shared. “I think it’s going to come down to fit. Obviously, I love what I do right now. I’m not committed to anything long term. With everything new that’s coming, from both sides, we just kind of need to see what the fit is. See what the direction of the city is going. That’s kind of why we’re giving this a little bit of time to make a long-term decision. It’s definitely something I’m considering.”

Dorian will taking on his new role during a unique point of convergence that many may consider to be less than ideal:

• the city’s next municipal election is less than two weeks away, after which two new council members and a new mayor will join the council;
• the city manager’s office is in budget workshop prep for a particularly cumbersome budget;
• the city’s health insurance is about to change;
• and construction season just started.

When asked if all of the above overwhelmed him at all, he seemed unbothered.

“We’re kind of used to the chaos,” he said. “We have awesome staff. We have great department heads, so we don’t expect any issues. It’ll be seamless. We’ll kind of hit the ground running and get to work.”

Dorian’s already used to overseeing several departments — parks, streets, airport and department of public works — in his role as Central Services director, which he’ll continue to fulfill throughout his time as interim.

Peck will assist with the transition until her final day with the City of Hannibal on May 13.

The news of Dorian’s appointment came less than a week after news broke in Southern Illinois of her Peck’s abrupt announcement — that she would be leaving Hannibal for a city manager position in Salem, Ill. — a position with a $15,000 pay cut in a town with less than half the population of Hannibal’s.

Her ability to secure millions of dollars in grants for the city, to significantly improve the city’s bond rating and to successfully lead the city through the pandemic has garnered praise from her colleagues. However, her role in the failed Stephan Franke impeachment process has exacerbated existing tensions and distrust between the council and some of its constituents. 

A character who might accurately be described as the golden retriever of Hannibal’s city government, Dorian’s upbeat and lighthearted demeanor is anticipated to bring a much needed breath of fresh air to Hannibal City Hall.

“I think in the end, later in the year, if the fit is good on both sides — if I’m happy with it and the council’s happy with it — I think definitely it’s something that might turn out to be a long term thing,” he said. “Right now we just got to get through this first phase.”