St. Petersburg will soon have a new city administrator, Mayor Ken Welch announced earlier this week.
Rob Gerdes was selected to replace Interim City Administrator Tom Greene, who will resume his duties as assistant city administrator, according to the mayor's office.
Gerdes' appointment will be made official pending approval from the St. Petersburg City Council.
“Rob has proven a valuable leader during his time as Assistant City Administrator. After an extensive national search, we found he had the best skills, experience and knowledge of our city government to effectively take on this key leadership role,” Welch said in a statement.
Welch's office says Gerdes was chosen from more than 30 applicants during a national search.
Greene, who has been the interim city administrator since Welch took office chose not to take on the position permanently, the mayor's office said.
“I want to thank Interim City Administrator Tom Greene for faithfully and effectively undertaking the duties of his office for the past three months. Tom has been an incredible asset to my administration, and I look forward to continuing to work with him,” Welch added.
When he assumes his position as assistant city administrator, Greene will focus on the city's budget and provide financial guidance.
Gerdes has previously served the St. Petersburg community as an administrator with the city's neighborhood affairs.
"Gerdes will continue his leadership on issues related to housing affordability, with Neighborhood Affairs Administrator James Corbett taking on an increased collaborative role to assist with affordable housing initiatives," Welch's office said in part.
