By Traci Chapman
Managing Editor
Jennifer Smith was appointed recently to the post of acting city manager, in the wake of the unexpected resignation of interim manager Mark Roath.
Roath resigned for health reasons Feb. 14, effective immediately, officials said; Piedmont City Council met for a special meeting Feb. 17, at that time appointing Smith to the acting city manager post.
Smith has long served as the city clerk and treasurer.
She is a native Oklahoman who grew up in Sayre and moved to Piedmont in 1997. Smith attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from University of Central Oklahoma.
Smith joined the city of Piedmont in 2003 and became city clerk/treasurer in 2009. Since that time, she worked in 2016 on a TSET grant that helped fund a portion of the Piedmont Park project; the has served as a United Way coordinator for the city and is a certified municipal official with Oklahoma Municipal League.
Roath joined city of Piedmont in October 2021, then in November confirmed a $100,000 annual contract for him to serve as interim city manager. He was selected from among three candidates for the position – with former Piedmont and Yukon city manager Jim Crosby and Larry Mitchell, former Watonga interim city manager and a past executive director of Yukon Economic Development, also applying for the post at that time.
Piedmont city officials last year sought an interim city manager after firing former city manager Jason Orr in August 2021 due to reported issues with purchases allegedly not conducted in compliance with required competitive bidding practices and the Open Meetings Act.
