In a press conference on Thursday, August 11, Mayor Eddie DeLoach made the following statement regarding City Council's selection of the next City Manager:

"Good morning, I am here today with the members of the Savannah City Council. Alderman John Hall could not be with us today. After an exhaustive nationwide search, which included over 100 applications from qualified professionals currently in City, County and business leadership roles, it is the unanimous consensus recommendation of Mayor and Aldermen for the City of Savannah that Roberto “Rob” Hernandez, Deputy County Administrator, Broward County, FL be appointed as Savannah City Manager.

Rob Hernandez is an ICMA-Credentialed Manager with more than twenty years of progressive and responsible local government management experience. He re-joined Broward County in July 2013 as Deputy County Administrator. Previously, he served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Coral Springs overseeing various city functions as well as the city's community redevelopment agency.

Prior to Coral Springs, he served as Deputy County Manager for Fulton County, Ga., where he oversaw public safety agencies, unincorporated area services, the Office of the Child Attorney, offender reentry program, and coordinated with the County's constitutional and judicial agencies. He previously served Broward County in a variety of capacities from 1994 through 2008, including serving as an Assistant to the County Administrator from November 2003 to June 2008.

In service to our country, Mr. Hernandez retired from the U.S. Army Reserves in 2008 after a 23-year career, most recently serving as a senior instructor in civil-military operations.
Mr. Hernandez received a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Florida International University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He is a graduate of the Broward Fire Academy and the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

In the coming weeks, as we complete the recruitment process, we will give the Savannah Community the opportunity to meet Mr. Hernandez. More information will be given as it becomes available. Under state law, the formal vote on the manager's appointment cannot be taken for 14 days. We plan to vote to make the appointment during the scheduled City Council meeting of September 1, 2016."