City Council approves hiring of new City Manager
June 17, 2019
City Council approved the hiring of John McDonough as Greenville’s next city manager at a special formal meeting of City Council at 4 p.m. McDonough’s first day will be Monday, August 12.
“John is an inclusive and collaborative leader and a highly effective communicator who is well respected by elected officials, City staff and the community he serves,” said Mayor Knox White. “We are confident that John’s experience and success in Sandy Springs and the Atlanta metro area will enable him to be immediately impactful as he helps lead Greenville into its next chapter.”
McDonough’s municipal leadership experience spans more than 27 years and includes developing the operational framework for the newly formed city of Sandy Springs, GA. As the first city manager for Sandy Springs, McDonough helped to structure the agency, develop policies and procedures and create long-term strategic plans. McDonough is responsible for oversight of the City’s 500 staff members and additional outside contractors, as well as the City’s $463 million operating, capital and special fund budgets. Over the past 13 years, McDonough has led the City of Sandy Springs through unprecedented growth, developed successful public-private partnerships and managed large, complex projects, including the $300+ million City Springs development, which features a 1,080-seat performing arts center, City Hall offices, an underground parking facility and a park.
McDonough helped establish the City’s 24/7 Citizen Response Center, a state-of-the-art Traffic Management Center, the Chattahoochee River E-911 Communications Center and the North Fulton Regional Radio Authority. Under his leadership, the City of Sandy Springs earned an ISO rating of 2 in 2017 and has a AAA bond rating from Moody’s Investor Service.
Prior to becoming the city manager for the City of Sandy Springs, McDonough served as the city manager for the City of Beaufort, SC from 1999 to 2006.
McDonough earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Citadel and a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University at South Bend. He served on both active duty and in the reserves in the United States Marine Corps from 1986 to 2012, achieving the rank of colonel.
