Two of the most prominent members of Mayor Toby Barker’s administration will soon be leaving the City of Hattiesburg for opportunities: Connie Everett and Andrew Ellard, who will finish out their duties throughout the second and third weeks of December.
Everett, who serves as the city’s interim chief financial officer, will pursue consulting through the South Mississippi Planning Development District. Ellard, director of the city’s Urban Development Department, will move to Morristown, Tennessee, where he will serve as city administrator.
Barker’s communication team made the announcement on Dec. 10.
Everett started with the City of Hattiesburg in 1983. Everett’s tenure with the City of Hattiesburg began in 1983, where she worked in a variety of accounting and finance roles until 2000. She returned in 2007 to serve as the city’s chief financial officer under Mayor Johnny Dupree. After transitioning into retirement in 2014, she was brought back in 2017 under Barker’s administration to help with the city’s financial recovery.
“My career in the government sector has allowed me to work with some of Hattiesburg’s finest business professionals and elected officials – some of whom were like extended family,” Everett said. “Through this work, I’ve learned so much from those who have come before me, about the job itself but also about handling difficult situations.
“Those opportunities have built a set of knowledge, skills and abilities that I hope to continue passing along in this next phase of my career as a consultant.”
Until a permanent CFO is named, Deputy CFO Malcolm Berch will step into the interim role and work with Everett on a contractual basis for counsel and guidance when needed.
“Connie Everett’s institutional knowledge has been critical over the past four years in solidifying the City of Hattiesburg's financial position,” said Barker said. "Completing seven audits in four years, restoring our Moody’s bond rating, taking on big infrastructure projects and bringing structural balance to our general fund are accomplishments directly tied to her leadership as chief financial officer. I
“I am grateful that she came out of retirement to serve in our administration’s first term, and I wish her well as she transitions to her new role."
Ellard’s work with the City of Hattiesburg began in 2009 as program manager for Community Development and expanded in 2012, when he took on the role of interim director of Federal and State Programs. He was serving as the city manager for the City of Eagleville, Tennessee in 2017 when Barker asked him to return to Hattiesburg and appointed him as the director of Urban Development.
“Hattiesburg is home for me and my family, so it has been an honor to be able to return and come alongside a new administration and to be a part of building momentum in a positive direction on so many fronts,” Ellard said. “We have accomplished quite a bit in Urban Development over the last several years: working through a backlog of code enforcement cleanups, planning for the future development of key corridors, championing new technology, creating a partnership between transit and USM, laying a foundation for future transit services, working with the development community on several policy improvements, and the list goes on.
“It has been a privilege to have been a part of such a variety of projects working with both internal and external partners – and working toward a culture of continuous improvement.
While leaving home is always bittersweet, I am looking forward to taking lots of ideas and experiences from these last several years into this next chapter as Assistant City Administrator for the City of Morristown.”
With several large-scale projects ahead under the purview of Urban Development and the ongoing demands of the CFO’s office, Barker and Chief Administrative Officer Ann Jones are currently mapping out the next steps of leadership. Searches for both positions are ongoing.
“Andrew Ellard has been a strong leader and gifted administrator in all areas of the urban development department,” said Mayor Toby Barker. "He established a high standard of excellence for operations, clear protocols for compliance with state and federal grants and an expectation of good customer service for the public. We wish him and his family all the best in their next chapter.”
