Richmond officials select City Hall’s next leader

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond officials approved Mayor Danny Avula's pick for who will next hold the "most powerful position" in the city's government Monday night.

On Monday, June 9, the Richmond City Council voted to appoint Odie Donald, II as the city's next chief administrative officer. He was nominated for the role by Avula on Friday, June 6.

The chief administrative officer is a Richmond official who holds “virtually all of the formal authority to run the city’s operations,” the city said Friday. They are the head of City Hall and the person responsible for “personnel decisions, financial and administrative activities and close relationships with city council.”

Richmond has been looking to fill this role since former chief administrative officer Lincoln Saunders resigned in December 2024. A nationwide campaign then began to find his replacement.

Donald currently serves as the chief of staff for the mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. According to the city, he has about two decades of experience in executive government roles -- including serving as the city administrator for Georgia’s South Fulton and Augusta-Richmond counties.

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When speaking in favor of Donald's appointment on Monday, Avula described him as a "warm and humble and deeply grounded person" with the experience necessary to effectively lead Richmond.

"We all want a city government that doesn't just deliver on basics [that] a resident needs, but one that leads to genuine social, racial and economic justice for our city," Avula said at the meeting.

City leaders specifically praised Donald's economic leadership abilities. As South Fulton's first city manager, Donald reportedly tackled and eliminated a $25 million deficit. In Augusta-Richmond, he improved bond ratings and led major economic development and transparency initiatives.

On Monday, Avula said that Donald has "expand[ed] economic opportunities for those who've been left behind," adding that he understands "the human stake of the decisions [city officials] every day."

City councilmembers discussed Donald's appointment prior to voting on it. While the majority of the board expressed support for hiring him, some said they did not like the expedited nature of this process.

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Donald's nomination was announced on Friday and the city council was asked to vote on his appointment on Monday -- just three days later. Councilwoman Kenya Gibson criticized this tight turnaround.

"We risk undermining public trust and the longevity of any appointment that we make," Gibson said, adding that she would be abstaining from the vote.

Other councilmembers said they agreed that the speed of this process was not ideal -- but said they would still proceed with appointing Donald.

"There's always improvements [to be made] to this process," said councilwoman Sarah Abubaker. "I do wish there was a little bit more time. That being said, I'm going to go with 'trust but verify' — 'trust but [hold accountable].'"

Councilwoman Ellen Robertson said that she was disappointed that Donald was not at the meeting, asking if the council could delay the vote so members could have more time to consider whether or not he suited the city.

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Councilwoman Reva Trammell said she had gotten the chance to speak with Donald on the phone on Monday and that she supported his appointment.

She brought up that Richmond has needed two interim chief administrative officers in the few months since Saunders' departure. The first, Sabrina Joy-Hogg, resigned from all work with the city after five months in the new role. Sharon Ebert was then chosen to fill in as of late May.

"We don't need a continuance on this," Trammell said. "We need a new CAO — tonight." 

Ultimately, all councilmembers aside from Gibson voted in favor of Donald's appointment. She abstained.

In a press release sent out after Monday's meeting, Donald provided the following statement:

“I’m honored by the Council’s confirmation, and deeply grateful to Mayor Avula for the opportunity to serve. From day one, we’ll hit the ground running -- focused on building a thriving City Hall that supports the community and delivers for Richmond’s families. There’s important work ahead, and I’m looking forward to partnering with the Mayor, Council, and approximately 4,000 dedicated employees to get the business of the city done,” Odie Donald, II, soon-to-be chief administrative officer of Richmond

Donald will officially assume the chief administrative officer role on July 1.