Derek Woods named new city manager for Dayton

Derek Woods has officially been named city manager for the City of Dayton following a unanimous vote by Dayton City Council during its regular meeting on Monday, May 16. All council members were present except Alvin Burress, who had work commitments.

Woods has served as interim city manager since September 2024 and previously held the role of chief of police for Dayton beginning in January 2022. Since moving to Dayton, Woods has embraced the community — and the community has shown its support for him in return.

His law enforcement career includes 14 years as a detective sergeant and six years as a patrol lieutenant with the Jasper Police Department, as well as earlier service with the Diboll Police Department. Woods holds a Master Peace Officer certification and is a graduate of the Leadership Command College, part of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas—a program offered through Texas A&M University, Texas Woman’s University, and Sam Houston State University.

In his nine months as interim city manager, Woods has overseen several key projects. When asked which accomplishment makes him most proud, he instead credited city staff for their support during the transition.

“The staff had enough grace and patience to give me the opportunity to step into the role of city manager and learn,” Woods said. “It has been a different set of shoes.”

He also expressed gratitude to the Dayton City Council for trusting him with the leadership role.

Among the projects completed or launched under Woods’ leadership, one of the most notable is the upcoming second water well project. Though it began under former City Manager Steve Floyd in 2022, Woods said he was proud to carry it through to the finish line.

“It is not a project I started, but I ran it to completion,” Woods said. “Steve Floyd had a major concern about Dayton not having enough water with only one well.”

Construction on the second well is set to begin in August 2025.

Another key infrastructure improvement is the Sawmill Road Lift Station upgrade. The aging sewer lift system is in need of new pumps, and work on that project will begin soon.

Perhaps the most pressing issue, according to Woods, is the condition of city streets.

“I’ve lived here since January 2022, and we haven’t repaved a street since then,” he said. “This was the biggest need for us this year.”

Woods described the deteriorating road conditions across Dayton, saying they’re so widespread, “you can throw a rock in any direction and find one.”

To address this need, Dayton City Council approved $1.824 million in funding at the June 16 meeting to begin street rehabilitation across various parts of the city. Woods said that the street rehab project was one that the council and the mayor really felt was a priority for the city, and he collaborated with them to make it happen.

The contract was awarded to Texas Materials. Streets were prioritized based on traffic volume and the condition of the sewer and water lines beneath them — most of which had been recently replaced or tested through pipe bursting methods to ensure stability.

(More information on the street rehab project will be provided in a separate article.)

In addition to infrastructure upgrades, Woods highlighted a recent development agreement with MI Homes as another key step forward for the city. The agreement paves the way for the construction of 1,000 new homes, all supported by city-provided water and sewer service—a deal Woods described as a strong win for Dayton.

“We have also talked about drilling a well there to further expand our capacity and to allow us enough to serve a portion of the Gulf-Inland Industrial Park in the future,” he said.

Woods added that he frequently meets with developers interested in bringing residential and industrial growth to Dayton, but he’s selective about the projects.

“We are not just taking any development. We want to be able to provide them with water and sewer without any strain on our current system.”

He is also working to expand DayNet, the city-owned and operated fiber internet service, which currently serves about 375 customers.

“It’s like with banking — people don’t switch until they have a problem,” Woods said. “We have to provide them a really good service and be competitive on the price.”

He noted that DayNet’s lack of contracts and competitive business rate of up to 1 gigabyte for $99/month make it especially appealing. As part of a new promotion, the service is offering a free 40-inch flat screen TV to the first 50 residential customers who sign up.

As he takes the helm as city manager, Woods said he remains committed to serving Dayton with the same dedication he brought to his role in law enforcement, but now with an even broader view of the city’s needs.