provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Long-time Sanibel resident Judith Ann Zimomra has been tapped as a speaker for the 2022 Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) Annual Conference. Zimomra, who served as City Manager of Sanibel from 2001 to 2021, was appointed to the Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs faculty in January of this year. This past semester she taught courses in Public Policy Writing and Communication Skills as well the Capstone course for graduating seniors.
The FCCMA is a professional organization of practicing public administrators from throughout Florida’s local governments. The Association was chartered in 1946 as a non-profit corporation and is dedicated to serving the state’s 479 cities and counties, promoting the city-manager form of government.
Zimomra earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Kent State University, her Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Ohio State University and her Juris Doctorate Degree from Capital University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.
After her 42 year career in public service, 22 years in Ohio (working for the City of Worthington, Hamilton County and Cleveland) and 20 years in Florida (as City Manager of Sanibel Island) she retired in September 2021 . Since 2021 she has served as a member of the Board of the Friends of Mahoning River, a non profit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Mahoning River watershed She has also been selected to join the Board of Directors of the Heritage Accord, a non-profit organization restoring and renovating the Newton Falls, Ohio 1942 U.S.O., which is now a National Historical Landmark.
In 2016 and 2021 Judie received the Local Government Service Award from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The Local Government Service Award recognizes and honors a City Manager’s dedication to public service and professional management at the local level. During the years Zimomra has served as City Manager, the City of Sanibel secured more than $65.3 million dollars in grants, many for water quality and environmental initiatives as well as projects in the City’s Historical Village and for roadways and shared use path systems and emergency management.
She is a past recipient of Committee of the Islands Citizen of the Year, the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club Citizen of the Year, and the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. She has also been named a “Power Woman of Lee County” by Florida Weekly, “Public Official of the Year” by the Fort Myers News-Press, Outstanding Alumnus of the Ohio State University John Glen School of Public Administration, and named as one of, “100 Buckeyes You Should Know”, of Ohio State University.
During her tenure, the City completed a $73 million sanitary sewer system and effluent reuse system. Additionally, the City navigated through the recovery of the impacts of Hurricanes Charlie and Irma and the Red Tide devastation of 2018 during her tenure. During her tenure the City of Sanibel was recognized nationally for disaster preparedness and disaster response.
During her time as City Manager, the City was recognized by the American Planning Association (APA) with the National Planning Landmark Award, the Government Finance Officer’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and Budgeting every year, the National Hurricane Conference, the Governor’s Hurricane Conference and has been designated as one of only two cities in Florida to be designated a “Gold Level” Bike Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.
Zimomra has previously made presentations before the Duke Energy Hurricane Preparedness Seminar, the National Conference of the Government Finance Officers Association, the National Hurricane Conference, Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference, and the Barrier Islands Governmental Council. She was previously selected as the commencement speaker for her alma mater Newton Falls (Ohio) High School. She is a past member of the Kent State Alumni Association National Board of Directors. Zimomra is an award winning nature photographer.
Judie Zimomra’s first job in public service was as a summer CETA worker assigned to the City of Newton Falls, Ohio where she was on a crew painting City infrastructure.
This year the FCCMA conference convenes in Orlando in June. Zimomra will be speaking on the topic “Life After City Management”.
Leave a Comment