UNION CITY – It is with both gratitude and respect that we announce the upcoming retirement of Director of Public Safety Mark Ater, following more than two decades of dedicated service in public safety and law enforcement.
Mark began his law enforcement career after graduating from the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy at Clark State in 2005. In 2010, he joined the Union City, Ohio Police Department, beginning what would become many years of dedicated service and leadership to our community. In 2016, Mark was promoted to Chief of Police. Later that same year, he took on the additional responsibility of serving as Fire Chief. As a firefighter and paramedic in addition to being a law enforcement officer, Mark brought a unique perspective to public safety and developed a strong belief that emergency services work best when agencies communicate, cooperate, and focus on serving the community as a whole.
That philosophy became especially important in 2023, when Mark was instrumental in bringing together emergency services between Union City, Ohio and Union City, Indiana. Through that collaboration, Mark became Director of Public Safety and has continued to oversee and support public safety operations serving both sides of our community.
Throughout his career, one of Mark’s greatest passions has been protecting children and advocating for victims. He has dedicated countless hours to cases involving child sexual abuse, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. He has consistently believed that children and victims deserve someone willing to stand beside them, speak for them, and fight to ensure their voices are heard. Anyone who has worked with Mark knows that he has never been afraid to speak his mind. He has been a vocal advocate for what he believes is right, even when doing so was difficult or unpopular. Whether advocating for a victim, an employee, a public safety agency, or the community, Mark has never hesitated to speak up when he believed something needed to be said.
Leadership in public safety is not always easy. It requires difficult decisions, long hours, missed holidays, sleepless nights, and accepting responsibility when things do not go as planned. Mark has carried those responsibilities for many years, and our community has benefited from his willingness to serve.
Although Mark is announcing his retirement, his service to Union City will not end immediately. He intends to remain active in his role as Director of Public Safety while the process of selecting his successor takes place. Once that individual is selected, Mark will remain involved throughout the transition, working closely with the next Director to provide guidance, institutional knowledge, and whatever assistance is necessary to ensure continuity for our police, fire, and EMS operations. This transition will be handled thoughtfully. Mark has made it clear that his priority is leaving the department and the City’s public safety operations in a position to continue moving forward successfully.
On behalf of the City and Village of Union City, we want to personally thank Mark for his many years of service, leadership, sacrifice, and commitment to this community. His career has touched countless lives—many of whom may never know the work that occurred behind the scenes on their behalf. Mark has spent his career answering the call when people needed help, standing up for victims who needed a voice, and working to make Union City a safer community.
We congratulate Director Ater on his retirement, thank him for his service, and wish him and his family the very best as he prepares for the next chapter of his life.
