By Patricia Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Covington city commissioners named new city manager, acknowledged the retirement of its chief of police, and named his successor at its meeting this week.
Covington Mayor Ron Washington announced that Sharmili Reddy, current Executive Director of PDS, Planning and Development Services of Kentucky County, was unanimously chosen the the new city manager who will take the city from the city commissioner style of government to the city council style of government in 2027.
“Tonight we have the opportunity to make history; Sharmili will not only be the first woman to be the Covington city manager, but she will also be the first woman of color to serve as a permanent city manager of Covington,” Washington said proudly. “I think that speaks volumes about who we are. She shows consistent performance and steady leadership.”
Washington went through her resume, saying she is no stranger to Covington. He related that she has worked closely with Covington on many projects through her role at PDS, including building GIS code enforcement. She was the city manager at the city of Ft. Mitchell for five years.
“When I ran for mayor, I promised to lead with transparency, accountability and inclusiveness.” Washington stated. “I also promised that I would lift up individuals with a clear passion for public service. Sharmili is that person. She is thoughtful, collaborative and solutions oriented. She leads with both intellect and humility.”
Reddy’s first day will be August 18.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to be the next city manager of Covington,” she told the commissioners.”This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me. The city has amazing momentum, and I am happy to be a small part of it. No matter the title, I am a community planner at heart and what that means is that I am educated, trained and experienced in respecting the values of the community that I serve. And that is by far the most important foundation for me, to listen, to plan and to implement, and that’s what my core beliefs are. Nothing energizes me more than a community that is engaged and involved, and no one does that better than Covington. Thank you for your trust in me, and I look forward to serving the city.”
That was not the only change.
Commissioners voted to accept the retirement of Police Chief Brian Valenti whose last day will be August 1.
He told commissioners that he started at the police department in September of 1996. He credited Chief Rob Nader and Kenton County Police Chief Spike Jones for his training and his competence as a chief.
“You have been an asset to the city and the community,” said Commissioner Tim Downing. “You leave big shoes to fill.”
Lieutenant Colonel Justin Wietholter, who had joined the police department as a cadet when he was 19, in 2005, will step into those shoes.
“Several years ago, when I was interviewed for this job, Mayor, you asked me what I thought of Justin, and I said, Justin’s going to be a chief someday,” Chief Valenti said. “And today’s the day.”
Wietholter agreed that it will be a big responsibility and he assured the commission that he was up to the challenge.
Other people in the department were promoted. Joshua Bornhorn was promoted to Assistant Chief, Jason McErlane was promoted to Captain, Rachel White was promoted to Lieutenant, Austin Ross to Sergeant, Jacob McBee to Sergeant, and Steven Krieger to Sergeant, all effective August 1.