City Manager's Office
John F. McDonough serves as the city manager of Sandy Springs, Georgia and is responsible for the oversight and management of the largest public-private partnership (PPP) for the provision of local government services in the country. Under his direction, Sandy Springs and their private sector partners were awarded the prestigious Innovation Award from the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships. The city was also a runner up in the 2010 Pioneer Institute Better Government Competition for its utilization of the Public/Private Partnership.
The bold new initiative of the Chattahoochee River 9-1-1 Authority, or ChatComm was started in 2009 by Mr. McDonough. Not only does this public/private model give residents a more rapid and reliable response from police, fire and EMS, it is the largest and perhaps only, outsourcing of a 9-1-1 center in the United States. Also unique to Sandy Springs is a call center that answers over 100,000 calls annually. Under Mr. McDonough’s leadership, the city is recognized with a multitude of awards including the use of social media and the website and with a Crown Community award for the start-up of the fire department.
He has also been city manager of Beaufort, S.C., and served in Albany, Ga., and other South Carolina cities. McDonough holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Mr. McDonough is a graduate of the 2007 Regional Leadership Institute of Atlanta.
Mr. McDonough is recognized as a leading authority on the implementation of public/private partnerships and has presented nationally and internationally on the concept and potential benefits to local governments. He has provided advisory assistance to numerous cities in the U. S. as well as to cities overseas. He is currently serving as an advisor, under a Japanese government grant, to cities in Japan that are considering transitioning to the Public/Private Partnership model. Reporters from Korea, Japan, China, Australia, India, and Iran have featured Sandy Springs and its Public/Private Partnership.
McDonough is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, where he currently serves as the Reserve Assistant Chief of Staff (Manpower) for U.S. Marine Forces Pacific. He is a member of the Sandy Springs Chamber Board and is actively involved in coaching youth sports.