City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

Alexandria, Virginia

Office of the City Manager
Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street, Suite 3500
Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2001
CONTACT: PHILIP SUNDERLAND, CITY MANAGER (703) 838-4300

CITY MANAGER APPOINTS PERSONNEL DIRECTOR

Today, City Manager Philip Sunderland announced the appointment of Henry Howard, Jr., as the City’s new Personnel Director. In making this announcement, Mr. Sunderland said, “ I am extremely pleased to have Henry Howard join the City’s management team. Henry will be a tremendous asset to the City both because of his extensive management experience at the local and federal government level and because of his intimate knowledge of the Alexandria City government, having worked for the City between 1975 and 1991.” Mr. Howard is scheduled to begin work on May 29.

Mr. Howard joined the City in 1975 as an analyst in the Office of Management and Budget, and in 1980 he was appointed Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget. In 1982, he became an Assistant City Manager and, in 1986, was appointed Deputy City Manager, where he served until 1991. In these positions, Mr. Howard worked closely with the Mayor and City Council, and gained a broad understanding of the Alexandria community and the operations of all City departments.

Mr. Howard has had extensive management and personnel administration experience throughout his professional career. As Deputy City Manager, he was involved in the development and implementation of a wide range of administrative policies and programs, and was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the City government, including oversight of the Personnel Services Department.

Mr. Howard left the Alexandria City government in 1991 when his wife was assigned to Jacksonville, Florida, to complete her medical residency in orthopedic surgery. While in Jacksonville, Mr. Howard was the Division Chief for the Jacksonville Department of Housing and Urban Development. In that position, Mr. Howard developed a reorganization plan for the 180 employees in the housing management division that included the realignment of positions and functions, the upgrading of programs and employee training opportunities, and the development of new management systems.

Upon returning to the Washington, D.C., area in 1993, Mr. Howard was nominated by President Clinton, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as the Associate Director for Management in the United States Information Agency (USIA), a federal agency consisting of 7,000 employees with offices in 120 countries around the world. In that position, Mr. Howard served as the top agency official on all matters of administration and management, including the agency’s personnel functions and operations.

At USIA, Mr. Howard was Director of the Management Bureau, one of four bureaus in the agency, which had over 1,000 employees and ten offices. The Management Bureau handled all personnel, budget, contract and security matters for the entire agency. In 1999, Mr. Howard received a USIA award recognizing his contributions for promoting equal opportunity in the hiring and advancement of minorities and women at the agency. In part, the award recognized him for having achieved “sustained success through unusually effective leadership, skill, imagination, innovation and perseverance.”

Mr. Howard has a Masters of Public Administration and a Bachelors of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University. He resides in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, Dr. Jessica Hirschhorn, and their two children, Joseph, age 11, and Sophie, age 8.