Meet the City Manager

 

                                                                                                                            

 

      Jonathan Evans, MPA, MBA, ICMA-CM

 

Jonathan Edward Evans was born on August 25, 1980, in Port Chester, New York, to Mr. Vivian Alfred Evans and Ms. Edita Evans. Mr. Evans has one younger sister, Viviana Evans, as well as numerous other siblings: 14 half-brothers and six half-sisters from before his father met Mr. Evans’ mother. Mr. Evans is a first-generation United States citizen. His father was born in Manchester, Jamaica, and his mother was born in Bocas Del Toro, Panama. Mr. Evans’ father was an engineer, and his mother was a nurse, as well as a U.S. Army Captain (Ret.). This sparked some interesting conversations about who had full control of the house. To Mr. Evans, this was easy: his mother clearly had the upper hand.

 

In 1988, Mr. Evans and his family moved from New York to Kissimmee, Florida, where they resided until he attended college. Prior to his 18th birthday, Mr. Evans’ family gave him an ultimatum: go to college or join the U.S. Army. This made his decision very simple: he decided to attend college. The most important attributes and characteristics that his family taught him are that hard work, dedication, and determination will carry you far, and no matter how daunting a task, as long as you keep a positive outlook on things, they will work themselves out. Mr. Evans’ father passed away in 2004 due to complications from prostate cancer. Instead of allowing this event to affect him negatively, Mr. Evans used it to fuel his ambition and to strive to be the best at everything he does. He enjoyed a special relationship with his father. They often engaged in heated debates regarding national politics and life circumstances in general, but they remained best friends.

 

Mr. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida, as well as a master’s degree in business administration with a human resource concentration from Saint Leo University. He has worked for the following communities: the City of St. Cloud, the Town of Celebration, and the City of Largo. In addition, on July 16, 2012, he began working for Haines City as the assistant city manager. On May 16, 2013, Mr. Evans was appointed the acting city manager and was unanimously appointed by the city commission as the new city manager on September 19, 2013. Prior to Mr. Evans’ work in Haines City, he worked for the city manager’s office in the City of Largo for nearly six years as the assistant to the city manager, as well as the city’s public information officer.

 

In fall 2016, Mr. Evans left Haines City to serve as an assistant county administrator for Sarasota County. In this role, he oversaw the following community development and infrastructure departments: Planning and Development Services, Public Utilities, Public Works, Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT), and Economic Development. As part of his responsibilities, he oversaw an operational budget of over $1 billion.

 

From March 20, 2017 to September 2017, Mr. Evans served as the city manager for the City of Riviera Beach. He was then appointed city manager of the City of Madeira Beach in February 2018. In this role, he oversaw the City of Madeira Beach’s $18,232,400 budget and 70 full-time employees on Florida’s beautiful Gulf Coast.

 

In May 2019, the newly seated Riviera Beach City Council appointed Mr. Evans as its city manager. His return to Riviera Beach was predicated on the compassion and dedication displayed by the community and by the staff members with whom he worked in 2017. His priority is to see the City of Riviera Beach become the community of choice for all who choose to live, work, and play in Florida’s most premier region. Mr. Evans has worked with the city council to establish Riviera Beach Vision 2030, which sets the course for the next 10 years for equal opportunity and access for all who call Riviera Beach home. Within the City of Riviera Beach, Mr. Evans is responsible for more than $100 million in budgeted appropriations, as well as over 400 employees.

 

Mr. Evans is a full member of the Florida City/County Manager’s Association (FCCMA); he has served on numerous boards for this professional organization and serves as an at-large director on the FCCMA Statewide Board of Directors. In 2019, Mr. Evans served as the secretary-treasurer for the Palm Beach County/City Management Association (PBCCMA), and in 2020 he was unanimously appointed to serve as PBCCMA’s vice president. He is slated to serve as the Association’s president in 2022.

 

He is also a member of the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and holds the Association’s Credentialed Manager designation, an accomplishment achieved by only approximately 1,300 local government professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Mr. Evans is a great advocate for continuing education and was recently named a member of the University of Central Florida Public Administration Advisory Board for the School of Public Administration (SPA). He is also an adjunct professor and a Business Advisory Board member at Polk State College. Mr. Evans has a strong understanding of municipal government, a superior work ethic, and a great sense of humor.