APH director named Assistant City Manager for health, culture

AUSTIN, Texas - The current director for Austin Public Health has been selected to serve as the next Assistant City Manager for Health & Environment and Culture & Lifelong Learning.

Stephanie Hayden-Howard will start her new position on Monday, May 10, says city manager Spencer Cronk. Hayden-Howard was selected through a recruitment process that attracted candidates from across the U.S.

Stephanie Hayden-Howard (City of Austin)

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"I am very happy to announce Stephanie Hayden-Howard as the City’s next Assistant City Manager for Health & Environment and Culture & Lifelong Learning," said Cronk in a release. "Her experience in public health matters and management principles are crucial to driving the City’s programs to ensure services are provided equitably in our community."

The ACM for Health & Environment and Culture & Lifelong Learning is responsible for providing bold and inclusive leadership to advance the assigned outcomes and strategies outlined in the City’s Strategic Direction, says the city.

Hayden-Howard will oversee the following portfolio of city departments which includes $394.4 million in budget and over 2,600 full-time equivalent employees:

Parks and Recreation – 744.75 FTEs, $109.7 million budget
Austin Resource Recovery – 501 FTEs, $106.8 million budget
Austin Public Library – 445.6 FTEs, $58.9 million budget
Austin Public Health – 547.5 FTEs, $103.0 million budget
Animal Services – 114 FTEs, $16.0 million budget

"I’m honored to be appointed as the City’s next Assistant City Manager for Health & Environment and Culture & Lifelong Learning and look forward to the challenges and opportunities in this new role to provide solutions that are cross-departmental in nature and involve collaboration with community stakeholders to meet the needs of area residents," said Hayden-Howard.

The city says that Hayden-Howard will be scheduling public meetings with community members in the coming months.

Hayden-Howard began her career with the City of Austin 20 years ago, holding several positions including supervisor, manager, assistant director, deputy director, and most recently, as Director of APH. Prior to working for the City, she worked as the Director of Clinical Services at the Alternative Learning Center with Austin ISD and Assistant Director at the Williamson County Mental Health Center.

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She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from Prairie View A&M University and a Master’s in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University Worden School of Social Services.
 
The search began in December 2020, when former Assistant City Manager Chris Shorter announced his departure to become the City Administrator of Baltimore. Shannon Jones, former Director of Austin Public Health, began serving in the interim in January.

Current APH Assistant Director Adrienne Sturrup will serve as the Interim APH Director while a search for the next director begins in the coming months.