City Commission Appoints Four of Five Interim Charter Officers

Published on January 20, 2023

The Gainesville City Commission voted on Thursday to appoint four of the city’s five charter officers and remove the interim title. Expressing confidence in the work done by the interim charters during extended periods of service, the commissioners approved the positions for City Manager Cynthia W. Curry, General Manager of Utilities Anthony Cunningham, City Attorney Daniel Nee and Office of Equity and Inclusion Director Zeriah Folston. Interim City Auditor Brecka Anderson, who moved into her position on Jan. 14, will be evaluated at a later date.

The motion was introduced by Mayor Pro-Tem Desmon Duncan-Walker and seconded by Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut. This move enables the city to forgo the $250,000, multi-month search process presented at the Jan. 5 City Commission meeting. Each charter office will have their employment contracts finalized and approved at an upcoming city commission meeting.

Gainesville City Manager Cynthia W. Curry

Cynthia W. Curry brings more than 35 years of experience as a leader, strategic communicator and manager. As city manager, she oversees all general government programs and services; is responsible for enforcement of all city laws, ordinances and policies; acts as purchasing agent for the city; prepares the city’s budget and performs other duties as assigned by the Gainesville City Commission.

GRU General Manager Anthony Cunningham

Tony Cunningham is a professional engineer with more than 26 years of experience in the utility and engineering industry, and has worked at GRU for more than 20 years. As general manager of utilities, Cunningham directs all GRU activities and advises the c commission with respect to all matters concerning GRU. He has exclusive management jurisdiction and control over all operating, administrative and financial affairs of GRU.

Gainesville City Attorney Daniel Nee

Dan Nee has worked as a lawyer in the City Attorney’s Office for more than 20 years. He is board certified in city, county and local government law. As a charter officer, he is responsible for providing legal counsel to the city regarding day-to-day transactional business and advises on any legal matters.

Equity and Inclusion Director Zeriah Folston

Zeriah Folston served in government with Alachua County before joining the City of Gainesville as policy oversight administrator in 2020. He now focuses on creating equal opportunity for neighbor success and advancement through development of policies, programs and initiatives.

Curry and Nee have served as interims since October 2021; Cunningham has been interim since February 2022 and Folston has been interim since September 2021.