Villa Hills has a new public works director for the first time in nearly four decades.

The City Council appointed Corey Schalk to lead the department at its Aug. 24 meeting, filling the role left by Derick "Buck" Yelton, who retired after 38 years with the city. Schalk took the oath of office during the meeting, according to Link NKY. Mayor Heather Jansen administered the oath and greeted Schalk with a "Welcome."

The transition is anything but abrupt. Schalk has spent 26 years in the Villa Hills Public Works Department, working his way up under Yelton. Council meeting minutes from March 18 show Schalk and a colleague attending a safety conference earlier this year, one of several duties he took on as Yelton's tenure wound down.

Yelton, who signed off on the department's snow removal message to residents in the city's Fall 2024 newsletter, had been the face of Villa Hills public works for a generation. City newsletters confirm he held the director title at least as far back as 2019, though his total tenure with the city stretches to roughly 1988.

The city's official Facebook page also confirmed the appointment, congratulating Schalk on the new role.

Schalk's appointment was formalized through a municipal order approved by the council. The department he now leads handles road maintenance, snow and ice removal, stormwater infrastructure and field upkeep for Villa Hills residents. Those are the crews patching potholes each spring and salting roads each winter. At the March council meeting, Yelton reported the department had used approximately 600 tons of salt over the past winter season.

Neither Schalk nor Yelton has commented publicly on the transition.

The next regular Villa Hills City Council meeting is expected in September. Residents can find the date and agenda at villahillsky.org.