The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
President of City Council knows inner workings
After Amherst City Council members and administrators trade ideas and opinions, President John Dietrich speaks with quiet authority.
And his collaboration bears the perspective of a farm-raised lifelong resident.
He esteems the small city with a population just over 12,000.
“Amherst has got a lot of good things,” said Dietrich, 78, who has served on council for almost 22 years. “If I had to pick out one, I don’t know if I can. I would probably say the people. It seems like any time there’s a cause, as long as you inform them and keep them up to date, they will go along with whomever it is and help out.
“We have a great school system,” Dietrich said. “Every year you see students make the honor roll and graduate at the top of their class. We don’t spend as much money as other districts around us.
“We’ve had good and bad government,” Dietrich said. “But we always come out on top.”
The city is solid now, he said.
“I think we’re doing good,” Dietrich said. “Our previous mayor and myself worked hand in hand and got the downtown in great position. People from all over want to come here.
“We need more small retail shops downtown, I think,” Dietrich said. “We’re reaching our goal with the Community Investment Commission.”
Since Dietrich wears so many hats, a busy day July 11 included electrical inspections in LaGrange, a fundraising meeting at Amherst Historical Society, a check-in at Amherst City Hall, and another visit at a work site in Amherst. That same evening, he met with residents on a special
project, he said.
His style of leadership includes allowing varying ideas at the table and working to collaborate toward solutions.
“You need some continuity,” Dietrich said. “Mayor Dave Taylor was there for 12 years. We had continuity.”
He also gathers ideas from outside sources.
“I read four newspapers a week: Plain Dealer, Journal, Chronicle and News Times,” Dietrich said. “I’m an early riser. In about a half hour I can read the Journal and Chronicle. If you don’t keep informed on things, you’re not going to accomplish anything.”
Dietrich was a city electrical inspector in Amherst in 1972 under Mayor Anthony DePaola. Taylor was safety service director at the same time, he said.
After growing up on a large farm in Amherst, his early job opportunities guided him into business.
“I started out as a car salesman, then I was a union laborer at Elmer Hume Inc.,” Dietrich said. “He had a business over here on Cleveland Avenue. He was quite a large contractor at that time. Then I went into the services, the Army, stationed in Germany. I got out of there
and went to work for Ford Motor Co. for 30 years, in small parts paint.
“Then I went to work at Weigand Electric, then I bought it after about 15 years,” he added. “We were electrical contractors. We wired buildings, residential, commercial and industrial. I had 50 to 75 guys working for me. I sold it to my son and one of the guys who worked for me about 13 years ago. They sold it to Lake Erie Electric out of Westlake. Precision Auto has my building over there. We worked from Columbus to Toledo to Mentor and Akron.”
His service to the community included sitting on a board of the National Electrical Contractors Association that covered the Northeastern District from New York to Detroit.
“I was on numerous boards,” Dietrich said.
“I have a lot of background as far as business goes. And being with that many employees you learn how to govern certain things. Everything worked out good.”
Technically “retired” but no less active, he also busies himself with hobbies of yard work, golf and travel.
His favorite foreign country is Bermuda.
“I just like the climate there,” Dietrich said. I’ve been all over: Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe. But in Bermuda they pretty much keep to themselves. They don’t have any fast food restaurants. They’re pretty much mom and pop stores there. It’s a nice feeling there.
“The other place I enjoy is San Diego where my daughter lives,” Dietrich said. “It’s a great place. The climate is good. You can walk everywhere. And I have a stepdaughter out there, too. It makes it doubly enjoyable to go out there. But there’s still no place like home.”
His wife, Barbara, works at U.S. Bank at Heinen’s in Avon. They have been married almost 20 years, he said.
Dietrich served as president of Amherst Historical Society for about 10 years, he said, then remained on the board. He’s also involved in Rotary, and Amherst Noonday Club which has been in existence since 1937.
Key development strategies for Amherst focus on building availability.
“I’d like to see more development as far as filling up Amherst Plaza,” Dietrich said, “and getting more small retail shops downtown and getting more people in. Different shops, maybe a jewelry store. We had a shoe repair shop here. We need to draw the people downtown to support those shops. The men could go in the bar for a beer and the women could go shopping.
“I know it’s crowded, but I think long-range planning we can do pretty well keeping on top of things,” Dietrich said. “Also working together and keeping people informed as far as government goes. And working with our school system. By and large a lot of people like our small town. It’s a great place to grow up in. You just have to change with it. If we keep on top of it, we’ll be just fine.”