Kwame Reed, Antioch’s economic development director, was named acting city manager at a special meeting of the City Council on Friday morning.
Assistant City Attorney Rachel Hundley announced the move following a closed-door session where the four council members gathered to select a replacement from among the city’s directors who had expressed interest. Reed was selected on a 4-0 vote, with Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock absent.
The current acting city manager, Forrest Ebbs, announced last week he was leaving as of July 14 to take one of two deputy city manager positions in Modesto, though his last day will be July 10 due to previously scheduled vacations. Ebbs is leaving on a two-week vacation Monday and said he wanted to make sure a new acting city manager was in place before he left.
Ebbs also was the city’s community development director but had taken on the role of acting city manager three months ago when then-City Manager Cornelius Johnson was placed on leave.
Reed, who graduated from Cal State Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo in city, urban, community and regional planning, has worked has worked for Antioch as economic development director for more than five years. He previously worked for Brentwood as senior community development analyst and as an associate planner for Oakley as well as a planner for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which oversees the ACE Train.
“Kwame is an absolute great pick,” Ebbs said of the newly named acting city manager. “He’s our econcomic development director and he’s done a great job there. He’ll do fine.”
Reed was out of the area at an economic development conference when the announcement was made.
Earlier this week, Thorpe said while he supported a national search for a new permanent city manager, “we can’t do anything until the (permanent city manager) position is vacant.” Thus, the need for an acting city manager role until the permanent job opens up, he said.
Though following the closed-door meeting, the council was to consider 18 items for staff direction, it lacked a quorum with Councilman Mike Barbanica unable to stay because of work commitments and Mayor ProTem Tamisha Torres-Walker having work and family obligations, while Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock out of town as Antioch’s representative at a League of Cities conference.
The 18 agenda items were adjourned until 6 p.m. Tuesday when the council will adress them before the regularly scheduled meeting. The closed-door session meanwhile will begin at 5 p.m.
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Source: www.mercurynews.com