Mayor Danny Avula has tapped Odie Donald II as City Hall’s next chief administrative officer.

The appointment will now go before City Council for approval. The internal announcement came at 4:30 p.m. Friday, one business day before the council’s vote will take place.

Donald most recently served as chief of staff to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. Prior to that role, Donald was top administrator for the city of Augusta, Georgia, where he worked alongside Richmond’s former communications director Petula Burks.

Burks, chief of staff for Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis, resigned in 2022 from her Augusta post to take the Richmond job. Her resignation came six months after questions were raised about Davis’ credit card spending, which included thousands of dollars of charges at companies connected to

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