On Thursday, January 7, 2021, the Palm Bay City Council voted to appoint Acting City Manager Suzanne Sherman to be the new City Manager of the City of Palm Bay. Ms. Sherman was hired as Palm Bay’s Deputy City Manager in January 2019 and has been serving in an interim capacity since the departure of former City Manager Lisa Morrell in July 2020.
“We have a new year and we need a new City Manager,” said Councilman Randy Foster, who brought the item forward for consideration.
Mayor Rob Medina expressed his support in Ms. Sherman saying, “Suzanne Sherman is a servant leader and what I’ve observed is not only a high level of morale, but a dedication to the people that work with her, a dedication to the City of Palm Bay, and a level of ethics that’s unwavering.”
Following the decision to appoint Ms. Sherman, the Palm Bay City Council voted to select Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson to serve as the Council representative to handle contract negotiations. Contact details will be presented to City Council at the January 21, 2021 Regular Council Meeting.
Ms. Sherman boasts a long history with the City of Palm Bay, having been initially hired in January 2006 as a Budget Management Analyst. She subsequently held the positions of Risk Manager and Business Operations Division Manager. Ms. Sherman also served as Assistant to the City Manager and Acting Deputy City Manager for Palm Bay, until 2015 when she was hired as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Satellite Beach.
In addition to her extensive experience working in Brevard County, Ms. Sherman is also active in several professional organizations including the Florida City and County Management Association, the Space Coast Public Management Association, and the Florida League of Cities. She also attained her Certified Public Manager designation in 2012 and is an ICMA Credentialed Manager Candidate.
“It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to continue to serve Palm Bay in this capacity,” Sherman said. “Working with City Council and our leadership team, we will strive every day to meet the needs of our growing community by providing high quality, responsive services with integrity, prioritizing infrastructure improvements and support for our expanding residential and commercial sectors.”
