New Acting City Manager Appointed Following Foster's Departure

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — During its Tuesday night meeting, the Fairfax City Council voted unanimously to appoint Assistant City Manager Melanie R. Zipp to assume the role of acting city manager effective Nov. 1. She succeeds acting City Manager Bryan Foster, who is retiring on Friday.

"I have worked with many executives and leaders in my career that started in 1984 and I can tell you, I respect everything that you've done for the city," Mayor Catherine Read told Foster during Tuesday's meeting. "I admire your professional integrity. I know that everything you did, you did 100 percent not as an acting manager, but as the city manager."

The city council appointed Foster in January, after the previous council terminated former City Manager Laszlo Palko's contract at its final meeting in December.

Prior to Foster's appointment, Deputy City Manager Valmarie H. Turner acted as interim city manager until her departure in January to become the city manager in Roanoke, Virginia.

Read praised Foster for being steadfast and true to the core values of the city. His nine-month tenure included overseeing a difficult budget cycle and advancing the contentious George Snyder Trail project.

"It's been an honor and a privilege to work with you, and I feel we are fortunate as a city that you dropped out of — wherever you dropped out of — and into City Hall to get us through this past nine months."

As one of the first acts in her new role, Zipp will appoint Chief Financial Officer J.C. Martinez as the acting assistant city manager. Martinez will also continue her CFO duties.

The city council continues to search for a permanent city manager, a process that started when the new council was sworn in last January.

Also See ...

• Bryan Foster Picked By City Council To Serve As Acting City Manager
• Fairfax City Manager Fired By Outgoing City Council
• Fairfax City Council Begins Search Process To Select Acting City Manager