Covington's next city manager will make history as she helps lead the city through a change in government.
Covington Commission approved Sharmili Reddy for the role Tuesday evening. The current executive director of Kenton County's Planning and Development Services will be the first woman to serve as Covington's top administrator.
Mayor Ron Washington says that's a big deal.
"That is not just symbolic, it's substantive," he said. "It speaks volumes about who we are as a city and the future we're building together."
Covington's previous city manager, Ken Smith, resigned July 7. He'd been in the role since 2021. Covington Public Works Director Keith Bales is serving as interim city manager currently.
Reddy said she's excited for the new role and pledged to put Covington residents at the heart of decisions her office makes. She said her previous jobs at Kenton County PDS and her five-year stint as Fort Mitchell city administrator have prepared her.
"Nothing energizes me more than a community that is engaged and involved, and I think we can all agree no one does that better in the region than Covington," she told commissioners.
Reddy will help make administrative decisions for the city as it works on a massive riverfront development at its former IRS site and navigates work on the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project and other big changes.
She'll also serve as the city's top administrator as it transitions to a mayor-council form of government in 2027.
"She has led initiatives that focus not just on infrastructure, but on community — on people," Washington said. "Her background in community planning and development is exactly what we need during this period of transformation."
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