Dr. Wazir Ishmael appointed new Hollywood City Manager

The City of Hollywood has a new city manager. During a recent meeting, the Hollywood Commission voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Wazir Ishmael as the new City Manager. He had been serving as interim city manager following the departure of Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, who left for a city manager position in Coral Gables.

After being appointed, Ishmael said he was humbled to be given the opportunity and would work to ensure that the city is run with integrity and transparency. He promised that he would be passionate about his work.

Late in the meeting, Commissioner Linda Sherwood requested that Ishmael be offered the position. He had been serving as interim city manager for just two days. Other commissioners were quick to agree with the motion. Mayor Peter Bober said it might be a good idea to table and discuss the matter after it had been put on the agenda. But he soon agreed that the position should be offered during the meeting. Members of the commission agreed that Ishmael was the best choice and that there was no need to conduct a long and expensive candidate search.

Bober said “This has been a divided commission and now we have the opportunity to push the reset button. We have all expressed our support for the city manager and now we are in a  position to help move the city forward,” said Bober.

Commissioner Patricia Asseff  praised Ishmael and said that the City now has good momentum and that under Ismael’s leadership that momentum will continue.

Commissioner Traci Callari said she has a good feeling about Ishmael and believes he will lead the City forward.

Ishmael has more than 30 years of experience in city administration. He has previous experience with the City of Hollywood, City of Miramar, Broward County Planning Council and other municipalities. He has a Doctorate in Urban Studies from Portland State University.

Author: Amanda Jones
Author: Amanda Jones

Amanda Jones specializes in social media marketing. She holds a Master's degree in Social Media Management from the University of Florida and a Social Media Professional Certificate from the University of Miami.

Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news directly in your email inbox.