Andrew Persons completes first week as interim city manager
Published on October 24, 2025
With a seamless handoff of responsibilities from former City Manager Cynthia W. Curry, interim City Manager Andrew Persons completed his first week on October 24, leading the day-to-day operations of the City of Gainesville.
The transition marks the culmination of months of preparation by Curry and Persons to ensure stability and continuity in city operations. In the weeks leading up to the change, Persons met one-on-one with each city commissioner and key department heads—including Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya and Gainesville Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Hillhouse—to strengthen coordination and readiness.
“City Manager Curry set a standard of excellence and I’m honored to continue building on that foundation,” Persons said. “We’ll focus on transparency, results and teamwork. Gainesville is full of dedicated public servants and we’re ready to keep making this city stronger for our neighbors.”
Mayor Harvey L. Ward praised the phased changeover, emphasizing the value of preparation and experience. “Andrew has been an integral part of the executive team for years, supervising the operations of multiple city departments,” Ward said. “His steady direction and thoughtful management approach will keep us on track moving forward.”
Persons was selected as interim city manager by the Gainesville City Commission on Sept. 4, 2025, following a more than two decade public service career. With a master’s degree in urban and regional planning, he accepted a position with the City of Gainesville in 2012 and rose through the ranks as a senior planner, principal planner and then the director of the Department of Sustainable Development before being appointed special advisor to the city manager in 2022 and chief operating officer in 2023.
The City of Gainesville also announced the following leadership changes in connection with the transition:
Brian Singleton has been named interim chief operating officer, effective Oct. 20. Singleton has most recently served as special advisor for infrastructure and capital projects and previously as public works director and city engineer.
Gail Mowry has been appointed public works director. She has served in the role on an interim basis since May 2025 and has been with the city since 2019 as a stormwater engineer and city engineer.
“Each of these leaders brings deep knowledge of operations and a shared commitment to Gainesville’s future,” Persons said. “Our best work happens when every department and every employee feels connected to a shared mission. That’s what brought me to the city when I first started, and that’s the kind of organization I want to keep leading.”
As interim city manager, Persons will work to advance the city commission’s priorities and ensure essential services run efficiently and responsively. His focus in the weeks ahead will center on maintaining clear communication, strengthening interdepartmental collaboration and supporting a unified approach to serving Gainesville neighbors.