Lorain County Administrator Jeff Armbruster dies; was former North Ridgeville mayor and state senator

Jeff Armbruster, the current Lorain County Administrator and a longtime public servant and elected official in Lorain County, died Friday. A cause was not announced, but friends and colleagues said Armbruster, 78, had been fighting cancer. No services have been announced. A Republican, Armbruster was North Ridgeville mayor from 1989 to 1995, safety service director from 2009 to 2023 under mayors Dave Gillock and then Kevin Corcoran and also served on North Ridgeville City Council. Armbruster served two terms in the Ohio Senate from 1998 to 2006, representing the 13th District. A businessman, he owned a number of gas stations over the years. Armbruster was appointed county administrator in 2023. The Lorain County Republican Party was the first to publicly announce Armbruster's death. Party Chairman Bob Meilander, in a statement posted late Friday on social media, said Armbruster he would leave a lasting legacy "through his years of service." "Jeff dedicated much of his life to public service, including his time as mayor of North Ridgeville and later representing Lorain county and the surrounding communities in the Ohio Senate," Meilander wrote. "Throughout his career, he worked to serve the people of our region with commitment and pride." He said many people would remember Armbruster as a public servant and politician, but "those who truly knew him will remember something even greater — the kind of person he was." "As chairman of the Lorain (C)ounty Republican party, I had the privilege of working alongside Jeff and spending time with him socially over the years," Meilander wrote. "He was someone who always had a great story to tell, a sense of humor that could brighten any room, and a willingness to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed." Gillock said in a phone interview Saturday that Armbruster was his friend for more than 30 years. "He was a great guy. The original Energizer bunny. You couldn't stop him," Gillock said. Armbruster was always positive and always looking for a solution whatever the problem might be, Gillock said. "He was all-in. He was always committed. City, county or state, he was always trying to make it better," Gillock said. Armbruster was hired in 2023 by commissioners David Moore and Jeff Riddell to run the day-to-day operations of county government. Then-commissioner and former North Ridgeville Councilwoman Michelle Hung abstained from the vote, citing an undisclosed "conflict of interest." Armbruster told The Chronicle-Telegram at the time that he hoped to help Lorain County "grow and prosper." "My past experiences in business and politics, my past connections in politics is what I give to the county, as I gave to North Ridgeville," he told The Chronicle in 2023. "I'm here to do what I can for the county to make it work." He said he planned to modernize county operations, bring in progressive ideas and make county government more efficient through technology. Armbruster immediately set to work hiring more dispatchers at the understaffed Lorain County 911 center. He modernized employee time card and access systems at the County Administration Building in Elyria. He encouraged commissioners to adopt a leasing program for county vehicles including sheriff's cruisers. Armbruster also was involved in the still-controversial decision to move Lorain County over to the Multi-Agency Radio Communication System, or MARCS, and in early discussions about replacing the aging Lorain County Jail. Armbruster worked to bring more money to Lorain County from state lawmakers in Columbus, encouraged regional economic and infrastructure development and worked with the Federal Aviation Administration on improving the Lorain County Regional Airport. Commissioner Marty Gallagher called Armbruster's death "devastating." "It breaks my heart. He was a good guy" who was always smiling and in a good mood, Gallagher said Saturday. "I really respected the man." Armbruster's positivity helped him sometimes talk his bosses down, Gallagher said, and he was great at giving advice on how to handle difficult situations. Armbruster always supported his friends in politics, with fundraisers or advice, but he wasn't a typical politician, Gallagher said. He worked "across the aisle" with Democrats as readily as he did with fellow Republicans, Gallagher said. During his years in the Ohio Senate, Armbruster served as chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee and Ohio Turnpike Oversight Committee and as vice chairman of the Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee and the Health, Human Services and Aging Committee. State Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, said he trusted Armbruster "1 million percent." He said Armbruster was not only a good friend and mentor to him, but also a good friend to his sister, Avon Lake Municipal Judge Allison Manning, to their mother, state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-Avon, and his late father, Jeff Manning, the former state representative and Lorain County prosecutor who died in 2004. "You can't put in words how much he (Armbruster) meant to me, my family, the community and the state as a whole," Nathan Manning said. Nathan Manning recalled walking in parades as a child wearing "Jeff Armbruster for Mayor" election gear. Jeff Manning was North Ridgeville law director when Armbruster was mayor there, Nathan Manning said. The elder Manning and Armbruster also were state lawmakers in Columbus at the same time, Nathan Manning said. "I grew up knowing him almost like an uncle," Nathan Manning said. "After my dad passed he was a huge help to me and my family." Armbruster was "the best boss" when Nathan Manning worked as an assistant city prosecutor in North Ridgeville during Armbruster's tenure as city safety service director. He also mentored Nathan Manning when the younger man was recruited to run for state office. Armbruster "gave me great leeway and was there if I needed him," Nathan Manning said. "Professionally, he was an awesome guy. Personally even better." Armbruster's service in county and state government wasn't without controversy. J.R. White, whom Armbruster replaced as county administrator, accused Armbruster and Riddell of bullying and harassment after he was demoted to county human resources director. Both men disagreed with White's account of their alleged behavior, and White worked out an employment separation agreement with the county. A federal lawsuit filed by Cleveland Communications Inc. over a failed deal to provide Lorain County first responders with new emergency radios accused Armbruster and other county officials of racketeering and intimidation. The county denied any wrongdoing and the lawsuit is ongoing. A Franklin County Prosecutor's Office investigation in 2008 cleared Armbruster of criminal and ethical wrongdoing after he was accused of using his position in the state Senate to get lower workers' compensation rates for one of the three companies that ran his gas stations. Two of his companies, Pinzone Armbruster and Armbruster Energy Enterprises, filed for federal bankruptcy protection in 2004. But even if things were bad, friends and colleagues said Armbruster always had a smile on his face. Armbruster is survived by his wife Lee and six children — "a great family," Gillock said Saturday. "It's just a shame," he said. "He's gonna be missed." "Jeff was the kind of person people enjoyed being around. He valued friendship, cared deeply for others and made a lasting impression on everyone's fortunate enough to know him," Meilander wrote in his eulogy. Armbruster acted "100 percent in the best interest for North Ridgeville, the county, the state of Ohio, whomever he was representing at the time," Nathan Manning said. "It's a huge loss for all of us."Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.