Interim CAO Joy-Hogg leaving role on June 6; search continues for permanent replacement
Richmond Interim Chief Administrative Officer Sabrina Joy-Hogg will resign from her role at City Hall next month, bringing an end to her tenure serving under new Mayor Danny Avula.
Joy-Hogg’s departure from the top administrative role at City Hall will be effective June 6.
Avula has not yet hired a chief administrative officer of his own after almost five months in the job. However, the mayor has said he expects an announcement shortly.
In the meantime, city officials said another interim CAO and an interim deputy chief administrative officer for finance and administration will be appointed “in the coming weeks.”
“Sabrina’s dedication to achieving a balanced budget and her institutional knowledge was a tremendous help in the early months of my administration,” Avula said in a news release. “I’m thankful for her dedication over these past five months and wish her continued success in her new role.”
Joy-Hogg, who had been with Richmond since 2022, is leaving to become a senior deputy city manager in Newport News, the Hampton Roads city where she used to live and raised her children.
“As I prepare to close this chapter, I do so with immense pride in what we’ve achieved together,” Joy-Hogg said in the city’s release. “From raising the city’s minimum wage and successfully transitioning to the Virginia Retirement System, to creating a $10 million capital improvement fund, and developing a bond strategy to expand affordable housing, we’ve made lasting improvements. We made history by recognizing International Women’s Day as a City holiday—the first in the nation to do so. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. I leave with deep gratitude and full confidence in the extraordinary path ahead.”
It's been a bumpy five months for Avula and Joy-Hogg, who were both thrust into the January water crisis just days into their new roles. City Hall's struggles have continued recently with a series of billing-related problems, including delayed tax rebate checks and the erroneous issuance of 33,000 real estate tax bills to homeowners that were meant to go to mortgage companies that usually handle the tax payments.
In her new job with Newport News, Joy-Hogg will continue overseeing finance and administration.
In a news release from Newport News, Joy-Hogg indicated she timed her decision to coincide with the conclusion of Richmond's budget process.
“It’s been a privilege to serve Richmond,” she said in the Newport News release. “With the FY2026 budget now adopted and a new administration in place, I’m excited to return home and continue public service in Newport News.”
Newport News City Manager Alan K. Archer applauded Joy-Hogg's "financial acumen, organizational insight and collaborative leadership."
"Her experience will be essential as we continue advancing operational
excellence, fiscal resilience and a high-performing workforce," Archer said.
This has been a breaking news update.
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org
Sent this by a friend? Sign up for our free thrice-weekly newsletter here.
Want to support The Richmonder? Become a donor for $9.99 a month and keep quality local journalism in the community.
