City Manager Selects Sheila Hill-Christian as Deputy City Manager

Richmond public servant tapped for number two position
Portland, Maine - Today, Portland City Manager Mark Rees announced his appointment, subject to City Council confirmation, of Sheila Hill-Christian for the position of Deputy City Manager (photo attached). Her selection will be considered by the Portland City Council at their January7th meeting.  Hill-Christian will be the first person to serve in this newly created position which has direct oversight of several city departments including Police, Fire, Health and Human Services, Public Services, Recreation and Facilities Management, Parking and the Portland International Jetport.

Currently, Hill-Christian leads the Hill-Christian Consulting Group, LLC, a Richmond, Virginia firm providing consulting services to government and non-profit agencies. Prior to starting her consulting group, Hill-Christian spent more than two decades in public service in a number of municipal and quasi-governmental
positions including Chief Administrative Officer for the Mayor of Richmond, Executive Director of the Virginia Lottery, Executive Director of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Chief Operating Officer of the GRTC Transit System, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facility and Direct of Juvenile Justice Services for the City of Richmond.

 “Sheila will bring extensive municipal experience in a variety of environments, which is ideal for this position, and I am confident that in this new role, she will foster an culture of coordination and innovation by providing support and attention to these critical departments,” stated City Manager Rees. “Her commitment to public service and ability to tackle challenging issues in a creative and ingenious manner will serve Portland well in our continued effort to improve the delivery of city services.”

During her tenure at the Office of the Mayor for Richmond, Hill-Christian managed the day-to-day operations of all city departments and agencies with a budget of more than $1 billion. At the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, she worked to improve the reputation and fiscal integrity of the largest public housing agency in the state, reshaping the organization by directing the creation of a strategic plan. At the GRTC Transit System, she led the public service company which operates an urban and suburban bus line with a fleet of two hundred buses traversing seventy routes.

Hill-Christian earned his Bachelor of Arts at the Virginia Commonwealth University and her Masters of Business Administration at Averett University. She plans to relocate to the area later this month and start with the city February 4th.

Hill-Christian’s announcement concludes an extensive search process during which candidates were interviewed by city staff and members of the community.