The Columbia City Council on Monday promoted De’Carlon Seewood to become the next city manager.
Seewood will replace John Glascock, who is retiring from the post Jan. 14.
Seewood’s first day running the city will be Jan. 15.
Seewood has served as deputy city manager under Glascock the past two years after serving as the city manager of Ferguson from 2015 to 2019.
“I am confident my experience in local government and in the city specifically will prove to be valuable,” Seewood said during a news conference Monday afternoon at City Hall, minutes after his promotion was announced. “I look forward to working with the community to make sure the city is an even better place to live.”
Seewood will be Columbia’s first Black city manager.
Seewood’s prior experience also includes serving as village manager for the Village of Richton Park, Illinois, from 2009 to 2015, the city manager for Berkley from 2007 to 2009 and the assistant city manager for Ferguson from 2001 to 2007. He began his career in local government working for the city of Fulton.
“I know De’Carlon Seewood will serve as a city manager who is strong enough to meet the challenges we face,” said Mayor Brian Treece.
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The announcement Monday concluded a six-month search process, during which Treece and fellow members of the council remained mum on any updates until 10 days before unveiling their selection.
Treece defended the city’s search process, citing Monday a “very competitive labor market” and adding that “the political climate around these positions has also changed with polarization increasing and a lack of civil discourse at times.”
These realities discouraged individuals from applying for city manager, Treece said, and led the council to keep the search process confidential unlike in the past.
“The council worked cohesively together, made each decision unanimously along the way, and I’m proud of the consensus that we’ve reached and even more proud of what I think is the best and most obvious choice as Columbia’s next city manager,” he said.
The council worked with CPS HR Consulting to make the decision, which came after reviewing 32 applicants, pre-screening 10 and interviewing three finalists in-person.
Glascock announced in June his upcoming plans for retirement.
Randy Minchew, one of five mayoral candidates vying to replace the outgoing Treece, criticized the city manager search process earlier this month, calling for the decision to be delayed until after the April municipal election.
The mayor, Third Ward seat and Fourth Ward seat are on the ballot.
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The council “should pump the brakes and allow for a more transparent process that ensures Columbians’ voices are heard,” Minchew wrote in a statement Dec. 9.
Others vying for mayor or council seats also expressed concerns about the transparency of the city manager search. The past six months stand in contrast to the lead-up to Glascock’s selection to the position in 2019 when there was more public involvement and more updates provided.
The council was guided by feedback gathered a few years ago about the “traits and characteristics” the community most wants in a city manager, in addition to hearing from residents, businesses and community partners the past two years, the city said.
As a charter city with a council-manager form of government, the mayor and city council establish policy and law, and the city manager handles day-to-day management.
Seewood earned a bachelor’s in political science in 1994 from Rockhurst University and a master’s of public administration in 1997 from the University of Missouri.
His annual salary as Columbia’s deputy city manager was $140,000.
He will earn a salary of $200,000 as city manager.
“One thing I know about the city of Columbia is our residents have a desire to be involved in this community,” Seewood said. “One major goal of mine is to deepen our engagement and find ways for our interactions to be more inclusive.”
