Norcross Mayor Craig Newton announced on Aug. 10 that former Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews will replace City Manager Eric Johnson, who is retiring in September.
Newton said city officials want to share as much as they can about the recruitment process, which they deliberated on in executive session, away from the public eye. In May, the city began working with its consultant, Arndt Municipal Support, to find, interview, and narrow down candidates.
“On Aug. 3 through 4, there were on-site finalist interviews conducted by the mayor and council, who, after two days, scheduled to deliberate and make a final decision,” Newton said. “Mrs. Hobson-Matthews has managed at a scale considerably larger than Norcross.”
From Henry to southwest Gwinnett
Norcross officials said the city received more than 216 job applications this summer and whittled down the field to six finalists. Input came from a group of high-ranking city staff, council members, and a few residents.
(Via LinkedIn)
Hobson-Matthews, who began working for Henry County as a planner nearly 25 years ago, was fired by Henry County Chair Carlotta Harrell and a majority of commissioners in April. CBS News Atlanta called it a “big and abrupt change to county leadership.”
Matthews had served as county manager since March 2017, overseeing about 1,600 employees and a $280 million annual budget.
Norcross officials cited her years of executive experience in Henry County, while achieving a triple-A bond rating. The vote on the new city manager’s contract is set for a special-called meeting on Aug. 24, he said.
“She described herself as someone who leads by example and emphasizes explaining the ‘why’ behind her decisions,” Newton said.
Johnson said he’s reserving most of his comments for his September retirement, after nearly six years of service leading city departments. Before working for Norcross, Johnson served as Forsyth County’s top executive.
“I look forward to meeting and helping your new city manager with that transition process,” Johnson said. “I congratulate you on getting through the process and having the good sense to once again hire a county manager from a quarter-million-population county.”
