Richmond City Council overwhelmingly approves Odie Donald as CAO

The Richmond City Council overwhelmingly supported Mayor Danny Avula’s nominee for chief administrative officer Monday night, voting 7-0-1 to approve the hiring of Atlanta official Odie Donald II to the top administrative job at City Hall.

Monday’s vote clears the way for Donald — currently the chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens  — to join Richmond’s government on July 9 with a base salary of $365,000 per year.

The speedy approval to hire Donald completes what could be one of Avula’s most significant decisions yet since taking office in January. The chief administrative officer works under the mayor, executing the mayoral policy vision, overseeing the daily operations of city government and representing the administration at City Council meetings.

Donald did not attend Monday’s meeting because he had responsibilities in Atlanta for his current job, officials said. In a city news release, Donald said he was honored by the council’s confirmation and plans to “hit the ground running” when he gets to City Hall.

Some Council members said they felt they hadn’t been given enough time to do their own vetting. Councilor Kenya Gibson (3rd District) abstained from the vote, saying she felt the process was too rushed.

However, the Council’s sentiments were broadly positive, with several members saying they were impressed with Donald’s credentials and trusted Avula to make a good pick.

“Not only do Richmonders need stability in this position, the mayor’s office needs stability in this position, the Council needs stability in this position and our staff needs stability in this position,” said Councilor Katherine Jordan (2nd District).

In brief remarks, Avula said he recognizes many Richmond residents still feel like they deserve better performance from city government. Donald, he said, is the right person for a “really pivotal moment,” bringing administrative experience in multiple Georgia localities, a knowledge of how government works in bigger cities like Atlanta and an understanding of “the human stakes of the decisions that we make every single day.”

“Odie is a warm and humble and deeply grounded person,” Avula said. “He will be tough and firm when he needs to be, as any effective CAO must. But he carries himself with a humility and a self-awareness about what public service really means. Helping people. And especially the most vulnerable among us.”

The hiring of the CAO is one of the most significant powers afforded Avula under Richmond’s strong mayor form of government, but it still requires sign-off by the City Council.

Because Donald won’t start for another month, the Council also approved the appointment of Sharon Ebert, the city’s current deputy chief administrative officer for economic development, to take on CAO duties on an interim basis.

Avula — who promised a national search for a new CAO when he ran for mayor last year — said Donald emerged as the best fit out of more than 200 candidates interested in the job.

The Avula administration announced Donald as its selection for CAO late Friday afternoon, giving the Council and the public a single weekend to digest the selection before Monday’s confirmation vote.

Though officials said the vote was expected, the City Council’s published agenda for Monday gave no formal notice that the CAO vote would occur. The pending employment contract with Donald — which shows what the city had to offer to attract him to the job — was not made public until Monday afternoon, just hours before the vote.

Two people — ChamberRVA President Brian Anderson and community activist Charles Willis — spoke in favor of the nomination during a public hearing. No one opposed it.

Given the significance of the decision, Gibson said, the Council and the public should have had more time to do their own due diligence.

“When we rush a decision this important, I think we risk undermining public trust and the longevity of any appointment that we make,” Gibson said.

Gibson didn’t raise specific objections to Donald and said that, procedural concerns aside, she’s excited to meet him.

“The work now is getting to a place where residents citywide feel assured that they’re in capable hands,” Gibson said.

Councilor Ellen Robertson (6th District) said she too was hoping the approval resolution could be considered under a normal timeline instead of being taken up on a fast-tracked basis.

“I think that’s a fair request. However, I am one vote on a City Council,” Robertson said, adding that she trusts Avula is acting “for the right reasons and the right purpose.”

Councilor Sarah Abubaker (4th District) said she shared Gibson’s concerns, but would take a “trust but verify” approach to the CAO hire.

“With a great salary — and justifiably so, he is qualified — comes great responsibility,” Abubaker said.

Atlanta’s mayor released a statement Friday thanking Donald for his service to the city, saying Donald’s last day in Atlanta will be July 7. Dickens specifically praised Donald’s “strong negotiating and relationship-building skills” that helped prevent Atlanta’s affluent Buckhead neighborhood from splitting off and becoming its own city.

Before his role in Atlanta, Donald served as city/county administrator for the combined government of the city of Augusta and Richmond County in Georgia. He also worked as the city manager for Georgia’s newly formed city of South Fulton.

In addition to the $365,000 salary, Donald’s pending contract includes at least $13,500 in yearly deferred compensation, which is a way to give employees a tax-advantaged boost to retirement savings. The city also agreed to provide up to $10,000 in relocation costs to help Donald move to Richmond, where he will be required to live in city limits under the city’s residency rules for high-ranking officials. As he looks to get settled in Richmond, Donald will receive $1,000 per month for up to six months to cover “temporary housing expenses.”

In his speech to the Council, Avula acknowledged the salary was in the upper end of the range the city included in the job posting. He said the city negotiated the type of compensation package necessary to attract someone to Richmond who is already serving in a high-level role elsewhere.

“If we’re serious about improving our city operations and building a government that truly serves our residents, we need to invest in top-tier leadership,” the mayor said.

Speaking with reporters after the vote, Avula said he understood the Council’s concerns about the speedy process, which he said was necessary partly due to accommodating the Atlanta side of Donald’s job transition.

“It was a little bit out of our hands,” Avula said. "And I do understand the frustration of certain council members of just not having more time to engage."

Avula said the Council was involved in the recruiting process and setting the parameters for the city’s search, but stressed that the Council’s role in the final stage is to sign off on the hire and the salary.

Avula has said he’s hoping to serve a full eight years as mayor, and hopes Donald will be a part of that work for the long haul.

“I really do see him as somebody who can be co-leading this city with me for that entire duration, “Avula said. “I think there’s incredible opportunity here in Richmond. He sees it.”

Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org