Coleen Castille has resigned as Pensacola’s city administrator, effective Sept. 3. City CFO Dick Barker will be the interim administrator. Communications Administrator Tamara Fountain has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer. Eric Olson will be the assistant city administrator.
Press Release:
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced today that City Administrator Colleen Castille has resigned effective September 3 in order to pursue other opportunities.
As City Administrator, Castille has been closely involved with a number of key initiatives and projects, including stormwater infrastructure, the planned Gulf Coast Marine Fisheries Hatchery & Enhancement Center, marketing City property, economic development initiatives at Pensacola International Airport and the Port of Pensacola, and more.
“When I agreed to serve as City Administrator, I made a one-year commitment to Mayor Hayward,†said Castille. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to work alongside the City’s hard-working and dedicated employees, and I am so proud of everything we have accomplished together. As I transition into new opportunities and challenges, I do so with great confidence in the ability of Mayor Hayward and his team to keep Pensacola moving in the right direction.â€
“Colleen has done a tremendous job over the past year and I cannot thank her enough both for her friendship and for the depth of knowledge and insight she brought to our city,†said Mayor Ashton Hayward. “We have been incredibly fortunate to have someone of Colleen’s caliber on our team. I simply could not have asked for a more capable and dedicated administrator.â€
Prior to joining Hayward’s administration in July 2013, Castille served as the secretary of both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) under Governor Jeb Bush, as well as in the private sector as a consultant to businesses and government.
In order to effect a smooth transition, Mayor Hayward also announced several changes to his executive staff. Richard Barker, Jr. will take over as interim City Administrator until such time a permanent replacement is identified, retaining his role as Chief Financial Officer and sharing responsibility for day-to-day administration with Initiatives Coordinator Eric Olson, who will assume the role of Assistant City Administrator. Communications Administrator Tamara Fountain has been named Chief Operations Officer and will manage communications, City Council relations, constituent services, and intergovernmental affairs.