Jefferson County Manager Announces Retirement

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Jefferson County manager and CEO Tony Petelos announced his retirement at the end of Thursday's Jefferson County Commission meeting, ending more than three decades of public service in the Birmingham metro and the state of Alabama.

Petelos was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1986 and was twice re-elected, serving until 1997. In that year, he was appointed Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources by Governor Fob James and re-appointed to that position by Governor Don Siegelman.

In 2004, Petelos was elected Mayor of the City of Hoover and re-elected in 2008 having no opposition. On Oct. 1, 2011 he was appointed as the first professional County Manager of Jefferson County.

"Helping shape and mold the role of the county manager in Jefferson County has been one of the most satisfying jobs of my entire career," Petelos said in a release Friday. "While I enjoyed serving in the legislature, DHR, and as a two-term mayor of Hoover, Jefferson County had some serious challenges. I can retire knowing that I had a hand in turning the county around, and it is on the most solid financial footing. The new leadership we have in place is top notch and extremely diverse. I’m not usually one to say I’m proud, but I’m proud of what Jefferson County is today."

A national search will be conducted to fill the position, according to the Jefferson County Commission.