JUST IN: Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks announces retirement | ALXnow

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Alexandria City manager mark Jinks officially announced his retirement to the City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Alexandria community in addressing its challenges and creating a better community for all Alexandria residents and businesses,” Jinks said. “A new City Council will be seated in January that will be developing a new long-range strategic plan in 2022, so this is a good time for a transition.”

Jinks said that he will continue until the end of the year, during which time the city will undergo a national search for his replacement.

“I intend to use what I have learned in my 45-year state and local government career to teach, write, consult and mentor the next generation of public administrators,” Jinks said. “In addition, I will now have time to address personal and travel interests that have been on the back burner for too long.”

Jinks also hinted to ALXnow last month that he was seeking retirement.

After six years as Alexandria’s City Manager and more than 20 years since he started work as the city’s budget director in 1999, Jinks and his wife are thinking about taking some time off in the near future to see their daughter who lives in Spain.

Mayor Justin Wilson has praised Jinks’ performance throughout the pandemic.

“[T]he Manager’s leadership has been absolutely critical over the past year as we have worked to address the human, financial and economic impacts of the pandemic,” Wilson previously told ALXnow. “Alexandrians are well-served by his leadership during this time.”

Jinks is the highest ranking employee in the city government, and his announcement is the second retirement to come from the top in recent weeks. Police Chief Michael Brown, who Jinks appointed, is retiring on June 25.