About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 2020)
4 | Community i BETTER HEALTH HAPPENS HERE WELISTAR WellStar Avalon Health Park 2450 Old Milton Parkway | Alpharetta, GA 30009 770-956-STAR (7827) wellstar.org/avalon COMPREHENSIVE CARE CONVENIENT TO YOU Family Medicine Cardiac Diagnostics Cardiology General Surgery Hand Surgery Imaging Lab Services OrthoSport Physical Therapy Pediatrics Rheumatology Urgent Care Urology OrthoSport Physical Therapy, imaging and cardiac diagnostics are services of WellStar North Fulton Hospital. Facebook.com/TheReporterNewspapers ■ twitter.com/Reporter_News New city manager takes the helm BY HANNAH GRECO hannah@reporternewsipapers.net Andrea Surratt has been named the new city manager following an ap pointment approval by the City Coun cil at a Dec. 3 meeting. Mayor Rusty Paul recommended appointing Surratt at the meeting. “It is my sincere delight to recom mend the approval of Andrea Surratt,” Paul said. “This was a very thorough and in clusive process,” District 6 City Coun- cilmember Andy Bauman said. “I think she will be an extraordinary leader and mentor in this community.” “One of the things I was very con cerned about when we started this process was the caliber of the candi dates,” District 1 City Councilmember John Paulson said. “The concern I had is out of my mind...I am sure she will do a great job.” “She is an exceptionally strong can didate,” District 5 Tibby Dejulio said of Surratt. “Her tenure here will really be of benefit to the city.” Surratt will replace Peggy Merriss, who was appointed as interim city manager in July as a temporary replacement for Sandy Springs’ founding city manager, John Mc Donough. Sandy Springs has said it aims to hire a permanent replacement by early next year. “It has been a privilege and an honor to serve as the interim city manager for the city of Sandy Springs,” Merriss said in an email. “Working together with the mayor and coun cil and great city staff, we’ve moved critical projects forward and continued to achieve the city’s priorities. It has been a great experience for me that I have thoroughly enjoyed.” The city utilized an executive search firm to conduct a national search for its new manager after McDonough’s departure. “We had over 500 applicants,” Paul said at the Dec. 3 meeting. Surratt’s annual salary will be $222,000, according to a city document. Surratt will be gin the position on Jan. 6, Paul said at the meeting. “Cities are strengthened by meaningful community discussions about growth, neigh borhood preservation, revitalization, and inclusive community identity,” Surratt said in a press release. “I look forward to working with the Sandy Springs City Council, citizens, and staff to shape this young city, originally envisioned by Eva Galambos, into an uncom mon and timeless community.” Surratt has over 28 years of city management under her belt, according to her resume. Surratt resigned from her city manager job in Bozeman, Mont, on Dec. 3 in the wake of her new position in Sandy Springs, according to a press release. She has held the posi tion since 2017 and served as interim city manager before being appointed permanently. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve the city of Bozeman for the last two years,” Surratt said in the release. “Bozeman is an amazing community with a great future ahead.” Bozeman Mayor Cyndy Andrus said Surratt helped the city complete and start work on its first strategic plan. “We will miss her calm and thoughtful approach to leadership,” Andrus said in the re lease. “Despite this change, I have confidence in the groundwork that she and staff have developed.” Surratt is a native of North Carolina and served as the planning and development manager for the city of Wilmington, N.C., and the town manager for Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Surratt was also the assistant city manager for the city of Hickory, N.C., for 10 years. Surratt returns to the South to be closer to her family, who reside in North Carolina, according to the release. “Sandy Springs is an opportunity for advancement in a larger community in a major metropolitan area,” Surratt said. “Its location brings me closer to my family which is im portant as I look toward my future.” Surratt earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Clemson Univer sity in 1991 and an undergraduate degree in political science from Guilford College in 1989. SPECIAL Andrea Surratt has been named the new city manager. ss
