Fulton Names Chief Financial Officer As Acting County Manager

By Kristal Dixon

The Fulton County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to name Patrick J. O’Connor as acting county manager.

Effective immediately, O’Connor will succeed Dwight Ferrell, who served as county manager for a little more than a year.

O’Connor has served as the county’s chief financial officer and director of finance since 1996, the county said in a press release.

Commission Chairman John Eaves told the Atlanta Business Chronicle that O’Connor’s background will be crucial in navigating the county through tough financial times.

A certified public accountant, O’Connor “has been widely recognized by professional organizations in his field,” the county added.

“I am humbled by the board’s confidence in me,” O’Connor said. “I look forward to leading the county and serving our citizens through this difficult financial period and the continued restructuring and right-sizing of our county government.”

O’Connor brings more than 30 years of experience in government finance and public administration to the position. Before coming to Fulton County, O’Connor served as finance commissioner for the city of Stamford, Connecticut, from July 1992 to December 1995, finance director of the city of Staunton, Virginia, from October 1990 to July 1992 and assistant city manager and finance director of the city of Statesville, North Carolina, from August 1982 to April 1990.

O’Connor received his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Connecticut. He has also attended numerous governmental finance and management courses at the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Government.

The acting county manager is also one of the first two individuals who successfully completed the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Certification program which earned him the designation of a certified public finance officer.