Sue Hack

There will be at least one new face on the Lawrence City Commission following April elections.

City Commissioner Sue Hack on Monday said she will not seek a third term on the commission.

“I think eight years is a long time,” Hack said. “That’s one thing that kind of hit me.”

Hack said she planned to spend more time focusing on her duties with the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, where she directs the Leadership Lawrence program and an associated youth leadership program.

Hack is the first of the three city commissioners with expiring terms to announce that she will not seek re-election in the April elections. Commissioner Boog Highberger has previously said he likely will not seek re-election, but has not entirely ruled it out. Commissioner Mike Amyx has not announced his plans.

On looking back on her two terms, Hack — a retired Lawrence public school teacher — said she was pleased that the community had expanded its retail base while she was on the commission and that the community had started to make some progress on promoting industrial development.

“But we still have a long way to go,” Hack said of economic development efforts. “Unless or until we quit arguing over every economic development project, our fiscal situation will not change.”

Hack, 61, said her involvement in economic development efforts to move the promising biotechnology company Deciphera Pharmaceuticals to a new building in the East Hills Business Park was her biggest regret on the commission.

Hack’s participation in the efforts complicated the deal after it was revealed her family had a small ownership interest in the company.

“That was a particularly difficult time,” Hack said of the incident in 2007. “I didn’t do anything intentionally wrong, but the result was not good.” Deciphera ultimately turned down the deal to move to the business park.

Lawrence residents have until Jan. 27 to file for one of the three seats on the five member commission. The general election will be April 7. A primary election, if needed, will be March 3.