Mayor announces hire of new IT director
Rachel E. Sheeley
rsheeley@richmond.gannett.com
The search for a new information technology director for the city of Richmond came to an end Monday night with the announcement that Randall "Randy" Kouns has accepted the job.
Mayor Dave Snow made the announcement and introduced Kouns at Monday's Richmond Common Council meeting.
Kouns is the ninth city department head appointed by Snow. Still to come are announcements of leaders for three other departments — controller, human resources and the sanitary district.
In April, Snow said finding a leader for the IT department was particularly important because that position has been vacant.
At that time, Snow said he was working with a committee of experts from the community to determine the future of the city's IT department. He and the group reviewed the city's needs and infrastructure, from hardware to software, and made plans for what the city should have. Snow said he wanted to have that vision well-defined before hiring someone to oversee it.
Kouns was offered and accepted the job on May 13, Snow said. Kouns' first workday will be May 23. His salary will be $56,763.72 a year.
"We're thrilled to add him to the team," Snow said.
Kouns has 25 years of experience in the IT field. From 2002 to 2012, he served as the user services manager for Earlham College. He has been working outside the community during the past four years.
The interview process for the city IT job was a tough one, Kouns said.
The process included a written exam, an interview with three technology professionals and a final interview with the mayor and 10 other community and city leaders.
Kouns said he applied for the position because he has an interest in community service. He spent 16 years as a paramedic-firefighter, and he has brothers in public service.
"It just sounded like a natural fit to come back to the city," he said.
Although he doesn't start the job for few days yet, Kouns said there are several important issues that will need to be addressed. One is the city's website. "The IT page has not been updated since 2015," he said.
Other priorities include making sure there are reliable backups of data and improving the network infrastructure.
Kouns said he grew up in Florida but has spent much of his adult life in the Richmond area. He received his first information technology degree from Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University.
After Monday's common council meeting, Councilman Doug Goss offered his support and insights to Kouns. Goss served as the city's IT director for six years before resigning in February 2013. Goss has served on council since August 2014.