Home » Covington commissioners name Ken Smith new city manager

Covington commissioners name Ken Smith new city manager

Department director held interim position for 13 weeks

COVINGTON, Ky. – Thirteen weeks after he stepped into Covington’s city manager position on an interim basis, Ken Smith now has the job permanently.

The Covington Board of Commissioners voted tonight to approve the appointment of Smith, the City’s Neighborhood Services director who had been doing both jobs since the commission accepted City Manager David Johnston’s resignation on June 8.

Covington’s new city manager, Ken Smith, poses with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recently at Frank’s Old Town Café.

Vice Mayor Ron Washington said he was impressed with Smith’s performance as a department head and even more impressed by how he has juggled the responsibilities of both positions.

Smith, who lives in Covington, came to City Hall in April 2018 as chief of neighborhood services. Under a reorganization, the department was created to pull together a variety of disjointed services and functions dedicated to improving life and the appearance of neighborhoods.

Previously, Smith served for 11 years as executive director of Price Hill Will, a non-profit community development corporation in Cincinnati. Before that, he was chief operations officer of Brighton Properties Inc. and had worked at the Children’s Law Center of Northern Kentucky. He has been active as a volunteer or board member with numerous regional organizations.

Smith said Covington’s momentum and upward trajectory have remained steady despite the pandemic.

“We didn’t have the luxury of slowing down during this transition period,” he said. “Our employees, especially the senior leadership, my department leaders, and our administrative staff, were there to offer assistance and encouragement with whatever I needed. We are lucky to have these folks, and I look forward to continuing to work with them every day to advance our goals.”

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