The Covington Board of Commissioners has approved Sharmili Reddy as the next City Manager.
Reddy currently serves as the Executive Director of Planning and Development Services (PDS) of Kenton County, a public-sector agency that provides services to 20 local jurisdictions within the county, including Covington. PDS oversees critical functions such as building codes, community development, infrastructure engineering, geographic information systems, planning, zoning, and code enforcement.
She will assume the City Manager role following the resignation of Ken Smith. Her first day on the job will be August 18.
Reddy brings a strong track record of regional collaboration, community engagement, and innovative leadership. Before joining PDS, she served for five years as the City Administrator of Fort Mitchell, where she worked closely with the mayor and city council to advance several economic development initiatives and strategic projects.
She will become the first woman and woman of color to serve as permanent City Manager in Covington’s history.
Mayor Ron Washington said the decision to act quickly was intentional:
“We moved with urgency because we knew we had an exceptional candidate in Sharmili Reddy. She is smart, collaborative, and already deeply committed to serving Covington. Her leadership at PDS has been strong and innovative, and we’re confident she’ll bring that same energy and vision to the City.”
Reddy expressed gratitude to the Board of Commissioners for the opportunity:
“I want to thank the Mayor and Commissioners for their trust and confidence in me. I’ve had the privilege of working with Covington for years in my role at PDS, so this role felt like a natural next step. I’m truly excited to be part of the real momentum and meaningful progress Covington is experiencing.”
The City also thanks Public Works Director Keith Bales for his service as interim City Manager during the transition.
As approved by the voters, the City’s form of government is scheduled to change from the City Manager model to a Mayor-Council structure beginning January 1, 2027. Until then, the City Manager remains the chief administrative officer responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City.
City of Covington