GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids officially has a new city manager. Mark Washington was sworn in at city hall during the Commission meeting Tuesday night.
Washington is the first African-American to hold the position and nearly 23 years of experience in local government. He was most recently the Assistant City Manager in Austin, Texas. Washington was voted to the position over the summer and was appointed to the job on July 31st. He took over the position after former City Manager Greg Sundstrom announced his retirement last year.
“Feels great, feels like I belong. This is the right place at the right time and I’m right where I need to be so it feels good. We have a lot of issues we need to focus on," said Mark Washington, Grand Rapids City Manager. "Housing is obviously one of the priorities, also keeping Grand Rapids affordable. And making sure there’s good partnerships and working with all of our partners in the community. [Also] making sure the economy remains vibrant."
Washington's appointment to City Manager is for three years.
