teresa.stepzinski@jacksonville.com
ORANGE PARK | Town Council, voting unanimously, promoted Sarah Campbell to town manager Wednesday night.
A longtime town employee, Campbell currently serves simultaneously as assistant town manager and town clerk. Campbell, 42, will receive a $110,000 annual salary, effective Sept. 22, when she begins her tenure as town manager.
She succeeds Town Manager Jim Hanson, who is retiring effective Sept. 22 after three years overseeing this northern Clay County municipality. Hanson, 63, earns $117,700 a year.
Campbell previously has served twice as interim town manager under separate administrations. When Hanson was hired as town manager, Campbell had been the council’s second choice. This time, Campbell was the council’s first and only choice.
The council offered Campbell the job Aug. 3 — two days after Hanson announced his retirement — in an unanimous vote. Wednesday’s unanimous approval of her contract further reflected the council’s confidence in her, Mayor Scott Land said after the 20-minute special meeting.
“She’s worked hard. She deserves it. She’s put a lot of time and effort into becoming town manager. She’s dedicated a lot of time to the town,” said Land, noting Campbell had taken on extra responsibilities over the year, such as organizing the town’s popular Fall Festival.
Because of a prior family commitment, Campbell didn’t attend the meeting. However, she told the Times-Union earlier she was excited by the prospect of continuing to work with town leaders and employees, and the community.
“I like the community and I like the team that we’ve put together here on the staff. And I think we have enormous potential and I think our council is aligning with that, so it seemed like a good time,” Campbell said.
Campbell said her immediate goal is to continue carrying out the strategic plan the council already has identified for the town this year. Coinciding with that priority is carrying out the town’s “rigorous capital improvement schedule,” she said.
She, as well as town leaders, expect “a very, very smooth transition for everybody.” Hanson is staying on to help complete work on the town budget.
Although a finalist for Atlantic Beach city manager, Campbell said her heart is in Orange Park, although she was honored to be considered for the other position.
Campbell had applied for the Atlantic Beach job in March. At that time, the Orange Park opportunity didn’t exist. Hanson notified Town Council of his retirement at its Aug. 1 meeting.
She has worked for the town since 2008. Campbell was appointed town clerk in March 2009, then named assistant town manager in November 2015. She obtained designation as a certified municipal clerk from the International Institute for Municipal Clerks in April 2012.
Campbell earned a master of public administration degree from the University of North Florida, as well as a bachelor of science degree in architectural studies from the University of Nebraska. She is a member of the Florida Association of City Clerks, and the Florida City and County Management Association.
She previously worked as a legal assistant with the Orange Park law firm of Kopelousos & Bradley, which is now Kopelousos, Bradley & Garrison. When Campbell worked for the firm, Sam Garrison was not there. Garrison now serves as town attorney.
Campbell and her husband, Bryan, have two children. They have lived in Clay County since 2002. When they first drove into the community 15 years ago, they knew it was where they wanted to be, she said.
The Orange Park job “is going to be great for me and my family,” Campbell said.
TERESA STEPZINSKI: (904) 359-4075