City Manager

The City Manager’s Office assists the Mayor and City Council in defining the goals and strategies used to implement the community’s vision for Roanoke.  The Office oversees the operations of city departments, the development and implementation of the annual budget and the tracking of performance in the delivery of City services.  The City Manager is assisted by two Assistant City Managers, the Communications Officer, the Citizen Engagement Officer, the Neighborhood Services Coordinator, the Assistant to the City Manager, and administrative assistants.

About the City Manager

Since 2017, I have had the honor of serving as your City Manager, assisting the Mayor and City Council in achieving the goals they have established in prioritized areas.  Prior to my arrival here in Roanoke, I worked in a variety of leadership roles in City and County government for 25+ years.  My years of public service have taken me to communities from the High Plains of Texas to Michigan, and from the banks of the Mississippi River in Missouri to the heart of Indiana. 

In addition to my public service, I have also worked as a private consultant in community planning, even briefly owning and operating my own practice.  I have served on the faculty at Texas A&M University in the College of Architecture where I taught how cities evolve over time and how policy is implemented.

I earned degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Tennessee and maintain memberships in a variety of professional organizations including the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Congress for the New Urbanism, the Urban Land Institute, and the Society of American City and Regional Planning History.  I am a Credentialed Manager through ICMA, a certified Urban Planner through AICP and an Accredited Member of CNU.  I serve the ICMA through advisory committees on Professional Education and Sustainability and the American Planning Association and the AICP as a Site Visitor for the Planning Accreditation Board.

I am thrilled to be in Roanoke!  I enjoy hiking in the surrounding mountains, visiting local museums and historic sites, my neighborhood, and meeting the residents and business owners who call this city home.  I am blessed to be married to my wife Ellen, who has accompanied me on this journey since our days in Grad School.  We are accompanied by our basset hounds who remind us to laugh and just how important walks and naps are!  I appreciate the opportunity to serve as your City Manager and look forward to continuing to work with each of you to ensure Roanoke remains a great place to live, work, learn, and visit.