Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley reflects on her time in office ahead of final day

DAYTON — This is the last week in the tenure of Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.

Whaley has spent 16 years leading the city of Dayton. She spent eight years as a city commissioner and eight years a mayor.

“It’s been the honor of my life to get to lead this community through some its best days and some of its worst days,” Whaley told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell.

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In her conversation with News Center 7, Whaley said the people of Dayton made her time serving the city worth every second. She looked back on her time and the impact her 16 years have had on her and the city.

“It has helped me grow and learn and I think I’m leaving Dayton in better shape than I found her,” she said.

Whaley called the Dayton community innovative and caring, and that helped develop her leadership style.

“You can get more done if you bring everyone to the table and focus on what the solutions are and not what you disagree on,” Whaley said.

She said you have to “have the courage of your convictions, but not be stubborn and be pragmatic.”

Whaley reflected on some of her accomplishments while serving as mayor. She looked back on getting the free Pre-School Promise for 3 and 4 year olds, as well as a billion dollars in downtown development and improvement in neighborhoods, along with stabilizing the city’s population over her time in office.

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“People want to live in places where people are betting on the future,” she said.

With successes come challenges and Whaley admitted there have been plenty.

“The city didn’t call for a tornado; the city didn’t call for mass shooting; the city didn’t call for a pandemic,” Whaley said.

The mayor also had to forge ahead during a city corruption investigation by the FBI. Whaley also led through social justice and police reform challenges.

Through the challenges, Whaley said she moved forward the same way she always approached things, by being open and making the necessary changes to restore or build trust.

“You have to lead through it and I’m grateful the people of Dayton chose me,” she said.

Whaley led her final city commission meeting Wednesday night. She will officially leave office early next week as she swears in the city’s next mayor, Jeffery Mims.

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