Atlantic Beach residents and local officials gathered Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Adele Grage Cultural Center to celebrate Kevin Hogencamp's appointment as city manager. The City Commission selected Hogencamp for the permanent post June 8 after he served five months as interim city manager and voted 4-1 on June 22 to approve his employment agreement.
Atlantic Beach Preservation hosted the reception, which drew Mayor Curtis Ford, Commissioner Bruce Bole, Neptune Beach City Manager Richard Pike and members of the city's civic and business community.
Hogencamp is not new to Atlantic Beach. Originally from Smiths Station, Alabama, Hogencamp earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a focus on journalism from the University of Alabama and has worked for Atlantic Beach since 2017. He previously spent 20 years in journalism, including reporting for The Florida Times-Union.
Atlantic Beach Preservation chair Susanne Barker credited Hogencamp with responding directly to resident concerns during his time as interim city manager, recounting a dispute over the city's tree-removal review process. After the group raised concerns, Hogencamp issued a memo in April 2017 directing staff to follow the city's tree code more strictly.
"April the twelfth, two thousand seventeen. I issued a memo saying we need to follow our code," Hogencamp said.
In brief remarks about accepting the position, Hogencamp emphasized the chain of accountability in Atlantic Beach's government structure.
"On top of the org chart are the residents of Atlantic Beach, who go to the polls and elect five commissioners, including the mayor, who select the city manager," he said. Hogencamp described the position as exhilarating and difficult. “It's the greatest honor, and it's you that I work for, he said.
Hogencamp highlighted his commitment to enhancing communication and transparency.
He pointed to the city's response during a past hurricane as a turning point in how the city communicates with residents and said Atlantic Beach is adding a full-time communications position to build on that work.
Hogencamp also singled out City Engineer Steve Swann for praise, crediting him with securing and managing grant funding and serving as an experienced voice on city projects, while acknowledging the two don't agree on everything, including plans to mark parking spaces along Seminole Road.
Former Atlantic Beach Mayor Bill Gulliford, who also served as Jacksonville City Council president, told the Beach Gazette he has known Hogencamp since Hogencamp’s days as a Times-Union reporter covering local government.
Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford, who worked alongside Hogencamp over the past four years, told the Beach Gazette that community connection was central to the selection.
"Kevin is embedded in this community," Ford said. "Kevin understands the citizens of this community, and he connects with the citizens of this community. One of his strengths is communication."
Ford said he and Hogencamp are working together on a "customer-centric city hall" initiative aimed at redesigning city processes, such as building permit approvals, around the resident experience.
He closed his remarks with a direct message to residents: "I am committed to us being as good as we can be at this thing called local government."
