In November, newly appointed Charlottesville City Manager Marc Woolley quit the job—the day before he was supposed to start work. It was the low point in a three-year period that had seen five people, not counting Woolley, serve as the city government’s lead executive. In response, City Council addressed the desperate situation by hiring a management firm until it finds a permanent city manager.
This month, Charlottesville signed a contract with the Robert Bobb Group, which has decades of experience serving local and state governments across the country. Last week, council interviewed three potential candidates—all members of the Robert Bobb Group—to be the interim city manager.
After meeting for over an hour in closed session, councilors officially appointed Michael Rogers during Tuesday’s meeting.
“I look forward to engaging with the staff and becoming a part of the team and leading the team so that the citizens of Charlottesville are proud every day at the level of service that their government provides,” said Rogers. “A government that will listen, is open and transparent, that’s my style. That’s what I look for.”
Rogers has previously served as Washington, D.C.’s city administrator, and executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, as well as chief operating and financial officer of Petersburg, Virginia. He has also held senior positions in the New York City government, and with the Minority Business Development Agency.
Following his appointment, Rogers said he looked forward to “hitting the ground running” and working with council to address a plethora of issues facing Charlottesville. He also shared his connection to the area—early in his career, he met Cole Hendrix, who served as Charlottesville’s city manager from 1971 and 1996.
“I can still remember the excitement and joy in [Hendrix’s] voice when he talked about his city of Charlottesville,” said Rogers. “So that impression of that city has always stuck with me.”
Mayor Lloyd Snook said he was drawn to the new manager’s passion for mentorship.
“One of the things that I remember particularly about [Rogers’] interview is that [he] enjoyed mentoring and teaching younger, deputy city managers, people who are middle managers in city government,” said the mayor. “That’s something we really need.”
“Investment in staff development and building cohesive teams has been a staple of my career,” replied Rogers. “That’s how you build succession planning.”
Vice-Mayor Juandiego Wade said he was impressed by Rogers’ previous accomplishments, especially in regard to finances. In 2016 and 2017, the Robert Bobb Group helped the City of Petersburg climb out of millions of dollars in debt.
“We’re going to need to be able to hit the ground running with the budget process,” said Wade.
Councilor Michael Payne expressed his appreciation for Rogers’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“How do we ensure that there’s real diversity in class and race in the rooms that we’re in, and incorporating that into every decision we’re making—I’m just really excited to have that approach, along with your breadth of local experience,” said Payne.
Rogers’ contract will last for six months, unless Charlottesville hires a permanent city manager within that time period. In the meantime, the Robert Bobb Group will help address other urgent needs, including creating the fiscal year 2023 budget.
Councilors will continue to work with the group to find a permanent city manager and police chief. They hope to hire a new person to lead the city by June.
Rogers will take office on January 31.