Valdosta Mayor and Council Appoint Richard Hardy as Interim City Manager
Valdosta Mayor and Council Appoint Richard Hardy as Interim City Manager
The City of Valdosta Mayor and Council appointed Deputy City Manager Richard Hardy as the Interim City Manager at the January 5 City Council meeting. Effective February 1, 2023, Hardy will fill the vacancy left by City Manager Mark Barber, who, after 35 years, is retiring. Barber will become the City Manager of Adel, Georgia.
"I am honored to serve in this capacity for the City of Valdosta, I am thankful for the council's trust in me to lead in this capacity and looking forward to more great things for our beloved City," said Interim City Manager Richard Hardy.
As the Interim City Manager for Valdosta, Richard will oversee the city's ten departments, 600+ employees, and the city budget. Hardy is not new to The City of Valdosta; before becoming one of two Deputy City Managers, Hardy served as the Director of Public Works for the City of Valdosta since September 2014. He directly led nine divisions, including Commercial and Residential Sanitation, Recycling Collection and Distribution, Right-of-Way Maintenance, Sunset Hills Cemetery, Mathis City Auditorium, Fleet Maintenance, Facilities and Ground Maintenance, and the Roll-Off Division. Hardy currently serves as a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Small Cities and Rural Communities (SC/RC) Committee and is now an active member of Georgia's APWA Southwest Branch. He is the Vice-Chairman of Deep South Regional Municipal Solid Waste Management Authority, representing the City of Valdosta in sanitation, grant acquisition, and landfill disposal requirements.
"In his role as Deputy City Manager, Richard Hardy has already been responsible for the city's day-to-day function of our Public Works and Utilities departments who report directly to him. He is an outstanding leader so the transition to Interim City Manager will be seamless," stated City of Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson.
Hardy is a former APWA President for Georgia's Southwest Branch. He is a 33-year Department of Defense Veteran and a retired Chief Master Sergeant (CMSGT) of the United States Air Force (USAF).
Hardy holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education from Wayland Baptist University and a Master of Science in Information Systems from American Sentinel University. He received his Certificate of Local Government Management by completing the Management Development Program from the University of Georgia, Carl Vinson Institute of Government. He has also completed seven tiers of Professional Military Education focused on Leadership and Management.
To contact Hardy, please call the Valdosta City Hall at 229-259-3500, effective February 1.