Medina City leaders and residents honor Mayor Dennis Hanwell ahead of retirement

Medina City Council and community members used a council meeting segment to offer tributes to Mayor Dennis Hanwell as he prepares to retire after decades in public service.

Speakers including council members, city staff, business leaders and residents highlighted Hanwell’s 16 years as mayor and prior roles in the city’s police department and as police chief. Several credited Hanwell with streamlining the building department into a “one-stop shop” for permits, citing the department’s receipt of the Ohio Board of Building Standards’ Building Department Excellence Award and describing the city’s building department as ranking first among Ohio jurisdictions mentioned by a speaker.

Other remarks noted Hanwell’s support for economic development projects such as the Farmers’ Exchange, Castle in the Well, Foundry Social, Common Ground, Spray Products and Revago. Speakers emphasized his focus on customer service, same-day over-the-counter approvals for basic construction projects and an approach to make government “help make things happen and don’t be an obstacle.”

Multiple speakers praised Hanwell’s leadership style, calling him a servant leader, noting his long public-service career of more than 40 years, and citing his partnership with city departments and external organizations, including the police and fire departments and local health collaborators. Business leaders and developers thanked him for fostering an environment supportive of private investment and economic growth; one speaker said a suite at The Legacy Project will be named the Hanwell Suite in his honor when the project opens next spring.

Comments also touched on personal qualities: speakers described Hanwell as affable, a family man, hands-on (noting his habit of picking up trash on the square), and someone who listens and engages with residents, business leaders and other officials. Several speakers extended best wishes to Hanwell and his wife, Chris, for retirement and mentioned his plans to spend more time gardening.

The remarks were delivered as ceremonial farewells and appreciation; the transcript does not record any formal policy decisions, motions, or votes associated with these comments, nor does it record changes to city programs tied to the tributes.