More exciting news continues to come out of Missouri City, Texas, as their City Manager, Anthony J. Snipes, was recently elected as National President and Board Chair of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA).

Snipes was appointed president and board chair on April 6 at the NFBPA’s national conference in Orlando, FL, where NFBPA leaders recognized him for his exemplary municipal leadership, national professional networks and ongoing commitment to public service.

In his acceptance speech, Snipes expressed heartfelt thanks to his parents, his family and to NFBPA for their unwavering support over the years and for their continued encouragement.

“I have always realized that public service touches the day-to-day lives of people,” said Snipes. “This new opportunity as National President will allow me to have a national voice on relevant public policy issues and also allow me to bring back to my own community new ideas, innovation and creativity from beyond our boundaries.

NFBPA is an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and is dedicated to the development and advancement of Black public leadership in local and state governments. The organization has over 2,500 members that are leaders and managers of public programs and agencies representing more than 350 jurisdictions nationwide.

In a salute to Snipes’ leadership, NFBPA Executive Director Marcia Conner said he “has earned many achievements and accolades during his more than 20-year career, including the long-standing contributions to NFBPA, as well as, his progressive and innovative work in Dayton, Ohio, Fort Worth, Texas, Austin, Texas, and most recently the City of Missouri City. We are pleased for his continued service to the board, welcome him as our National President and look forward to his guidance as we continue to grow our organization.”

As national president, Snipes will be responsible for guiding a 26-member board of directors representing city, county, and state governments and nonprofit organizations. Snipes has been able to utilize his experience of more than 20 years, to help steer a steady course of success in Missouri City, forging myriad partnerships and firmly building on the legacy of leadership that has established Missouri City as a community that is fiscally sound, safe and scenic.

Snipes is a veteran municipal administrator who has earned numerous accolades for inspiring his teams with clarity of purpose and leading them toward a shared view of collective goals. Snipes took on the mantle as City Manager in 2015, after being unanimously appointed by the Missouri City Council to become the municipality’s seventh Chief Administrative Officer and first African American to the position. Snipes oversees about 354 full-time employees and a combined annual budget of more than $139.6 million.

Snipes has managed the creation of Missouri City’s first 501(c) (3), the Missouri City Parks Foundation. He also launched the design of an expanded City Hall complex to feature a veteran’s memorial and other specialized landmarks, managed the completion of the City’s largest debt refunding by eliminating nearly $79.7 million of debt and helped navigate the city through many major issues.

Before joining Missouri City, Snipes was a municipal executive in different capacities for the cities of Dayton, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas and Austin, Texas. In all three cities, Snipes implemented proactive programs and led initiatives that set a standard for excellence.

In addition to being NFBPA President and Board Chair, Snipes also serves as a board member for the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, Secretary/Treasurer of the Texas City/County Management Association—Region 6 Board, a Board Member of the Missouri City Parks Foundation, and a Board Member of Mercer University’s College of Liberal Arts Alumni Board of Directors.

To learn more about Mr. Snipes’ role as Missouri City’s Chief Executive Officer, read his professional bio via this City website link: http://bit.ly/2KWKbcT.

This article originally appeared in the Houston Forward Times. 

Forward Times Staff

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