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Cohen Appoints Mallinoff

UPDATE 3:44PM June 24, 2010: According to City Public Information Officer Phillip McGowan, Smith’s salary will be $128,950, Mallinoff’s salary will be $138,310, and Simmons’ salary will be $102,575. McGowan advised that there was no increase in employees as Mallinoff assumed Smith’s salary and vice versa. However it was unclear the financial impact as they have promoted the Assistant Director of DNEP to a Director.

In a less than surprising move, Annapolis Mayor Josh Cohen has appointed Mike Mallinoff as the new City Manager. Mallinoff was the City Administrator under former Mayor Al Hopkins and former Mayor Ellen Moyer re-hired him as a consultant in 2002–and like Eldin on Murphy Brown, he stayed.

It appears that in this move, Cohen has created two new positions. He has decided to retain outgoing Chief Administrative Officer, Doug Smith, to spearhead the Market House, Renewable Energy Park, and Transportation Department. There is no mention if this position was funded in his recently passed budget, nor is there any mention as to the salaries for the City Manager and the newly created position for Smith.  Smith was earning $145,000 per year in his capacity.  Additionally, Cohen has brought on a Deputy Fire Chief to head the Office of Emergency Management. Kevin Simmons was an Assistant Chief in Howard County.

Here is a release from City Hall:

Mayor Joshua J. Cohen announces that Michael D. Mallinoff, a 21-year municipal government executive who previously served as City Administrator for then-Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins, will become acting City Manager and assume oversight of the City’s day-to-day operations on July 1.

Doug Smith, who will step down as Chief Administrative Officer on June 30 to make way for Mr. Mallinoff, will be retained as a Special Assistant for Development overseeing several priority projects for the Cohen Administration, such as the Market House and the City’s proposed renewable energy park as well as continuing to identify and recommend improvements and efficiencies in the Transportation Department. Mr. Mallinoff and Mr. Smith will work under six-month contracts that start July 1, and they will report directly to the mayor.

“It will take strong leadership to keep Annapolis on the path of fiscal responsibility, and Mike has the experience and leadership to keep the City heading in the right direction,” Mayor Cohen said. “His priorities reflect mine: creating a more effective and efficient government that serves the taxpayer’s interests and builds on Annapolis’ reputation as an environmental and maritime steward.

“With so much at stake for the City right now, I want to ensure a smooth transition and ensure that we are making the right decisions on the Market House, the energy park, our transportation system and other projects that are important to me and the Council. Doug’s business expertise is critical to protecting the City’s financial interests and ensuring we have the right people in place to manage key assets.”

Mr. Mallinoff was tapped to serve as City Administrator for Mr. Hopkins from 1989 to 1995. He went on to serve as City Manager and Director of Public Safety for Newport, R.I., from 1995 to 2002 before he was recruited to return to Annapolis, where he directed the newly created Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Programs. DNEP is responsible for building and housing inspections and permits as well as environmental regulations.

Mr. Mallinoff has demonstrated strong financial stewardship of city budgets. When he left for Rhode Island, Annapolis had a $12 million surplus and, at that time, the highest bond rating in its history. He did that while helping to spearhead funding for Gott’s Garage, the Main Street reconstruction project and a restoration of City Dock. In Newport, Mr. Mallinoff took over a government that was teetering on the verge of financial collapse. Newport went from having no fund balance in 1995 to having a $10 million fund balance and an upgraded bond rating seven years later.

A native Marylander, Mr. Mallinoff has an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and a law degree from the University of Baltimore. He served as a legislative aide to Sen. Gerald W. Winegard before joining the Baltimore law practice of Resnick, Sopher and Perlow as a law clerk, then an attorney. He has also worked as a law clerk for the Maryland Attorney General.

Maria Brown, Assistant to the DNEP Director, will become acting director.

Mr. Smith, former president of the Ward One Residents Association, is a 40-year business professional who has held senior management positions in Fortune 100 companies. He has also been the founder, president and CEO of several high-tech start-up companies. Most recently before joining City government, Mr. Smith negotiated agreements on solar energy products. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering from Ohio State University.

Mayor Cohen also announces that Kevin Simmons, a former assistant fire chief for Howard County, has been named a deputy fire chief and will serve as director of the newly reorganized Office of Emergency Management. He begins work July 1. Mr. Simmons will serve in the Mr. Cohen’s Cabinet, but he does not need to be confirmed by the City Council because he will report to Fire Chief David L. Stokes Sr.

Mr. Simmons has 28 years of experience in all aspects of emergency operations. In Howard County, he instituted the award-winning “Crowd Manager Program” in which businesses, government employees and others learned how to maintain a fire-safe environment. He also developed the current fire inspection/investigation program there. On the emergency management front in Howard County, he was a planning section chief for the Baltimore Regional Incident Management Team, helped to develop the departmental H1N1 continuity of operations plan and served as the project manager for establishing emergency response plan for departments. He holds bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Behavior Sciences from University of Maryland and master’s degree in Legal Studies from the University of Baltimore.

Mr. Cohen said of Deputy Chief Simmons: “Kevin’s steady, wide-ranging leadership is just what the City needs as we revamp our Emergency Management operations and blend them into the larger Fire Department.”

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