On February 3, Mayor Frank G. Jackson administered the oath of office to Richard D. Barton, swearing him in as Interim Commissioner of Cleveland Public Power (Department of Public Utilities).
A graduate of Cleveland Central Catholic and Cleveland State University, he began his career as a civil servant in 1973 in the Division of Recreation, administering a federal grant that extended the City's recreation centers' operating hours as a means to reducing crime. He later served in the Municipal Clerk of Court's office, focusing on relocating that office to the newly built Justice Center.
In 1978, Barton was appointed Commissioner of the Division of Light and Power, which would later become Cleveland Public Power.
Throughout his tenure with the City, Barton has held many leadership roles at CPP, including Deputy and Assistant Commissioner. He has also served in the ITS and Radio Communications divisions for Cleveland.
He has overseen the Operations section of Cleveland Public Power, including Trouble, Street Lighting, Construction, and Maintenance. He has also participated in NERC/Reliability First Standards Compliance, labor negotiations, and work order management.