Virginia – Brian Barr has been appointed chief operating officer for Norfolk Southern. Barr brings nearly three decades of rail industry experience and most recently led the mechanical department. He holds a business administration degree from Bellevue University and completed the Executive Leadership Forum through Harvard Executive Education. As COO, Barr will oversee railroad operations, including safety, transportation, network planning, engineering and equipment maintenance.
South Carolina – Benjamin C. Ayers has been selected as Clemson University’s 16th president, effective Aug. 1. Ayers currently serves as senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Georgia, where he has spent nearly three decades in faculty and administrative roles, including dean of the Terry College of Business and director of the J.M. Tull School of Accounting. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama and a doctorate in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.
California – Sharon L. Weissman has been appointed to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. Weissman was first appointed to the commission in 2020 and has served as board president, vice president and secretary. She previously served as senior adviser and transportation deputy to former Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, with a public-sector career focused on transportation planning, goods movement, sustainability and budget policy.
Georgia – Carl E. Geffken has been appointed city manager for the city of Forest Park, effective July 20. Geffken brings more than 30 years of public-sector leadership experience, most recently serving more than eight years as city administrator for Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he oversaw 1,100 employees and a $192 million budget. As city manager, he will oversee day-to-day municipal operations, financial management, economic development initiatives and implementation of City Council priorities.
Ohio – Corey Follick has been selected as city manager for the city of Englewood. Follick has served the city since 1995, beginning as a part-time public safety dispatcher before becoming a reserve police officer, full-time officer, school resource officer, police sergeant and, most recently, director and chief of police. As city manager, Follick will oversee day-to-day municipal operations, financial management, strategic planning and implementation of city council priorities.
Texas – Phillip Urrutia has been appointed city manager for the city of San Angelo, effective Aug. 1. Urrutia brings more than 17 years of municipal leadership experience and most recently served as assistant city manager for the city of Garland, where he oversaw more than $1 billion in annual operations. He previously served as deputy city manager for the city of Odessa and holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia Southern University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and political science from Texas Tech University.
Virginia – Michele Mixner DeWitt has been appointed city manager for the city of Williamsburg. DeWitt has worked for the city since 2005, when she was hired as Williamsburg’s first economic development director, and later served as assistant city manager and deputy city manager. As city manager, she will oversee city operations, financial management, strategic initiatives and major projects including the Virginia Capital Trail connection and African American Heritage Trail.
Iowa – Tara K. Connolly has been named president of the Iowa College Foundation, becoming the first woman to lead the organization in its 74-year history. Connolly most recently served as president-elect after previously serving as executive director of the Des Moines Area Community College Foundation, bringing more than two decades of higher education advancement and nonprofit leadership experience. As president, she will lead the foundation’s statewide fundraising, strategic partnerships, scholarship initiatives and support for Iowa’s 21 independent colleges and universities.
