City Manager Anita Favors Thompson
A native of Kansas, Anita R. Favors Thompson obtained her undergraduate degree from Park College in Parkville, Missouri, from which she holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and was honored as a Presidential Scholar. Ms. Favors received her Masters Degree after completing graduate studies at Central Michigan University, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Her professional experience includes a variety of top management positions including Executive Director of the Area Agency on Aging in Kansas City; Assistant to the Finance Commissioner in Kansas City, Kansas; Assistant City Administrator, Kansas City, Kansas; Commissioner of Adult Services for the Kansas State Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services; Senior Assistant City Manager, City of Tallahassee; and her current role as City Manager for the City of Tallahassee. In her current position as City Manager since April, 1997, she is responsible for administration of all city services, encompassing 2,982 City employees, an operating budget of $730.4 million dollars and a five-year capital improvement plan of $1.0 billion.
Under City Manager Favors Thompson's leadership, in June of 1999, the City of Tallahassee was named an "All America" City, its Parks and Recreation Department was named the Best in America in 2004, and Tallahassee was named a Green City in 2008 for actions to preserve and protect its natural resources. Within City government, she has focused staff on excellent customer service and ethical behavior, and Tallahassee residents have repeatedly expressed strong support for quality City services with an 80 percent approval rating in citizen surveys. Ms. Favors Thompson currently serves on the Board of Directors for Public Technology, Inc., and has served on the Board of Directors for the International City/County Management Association from 1991 - 1993, and as Vice President and member of the Florida City/County Management Association. She also previously served on the national Board of Directors for the National Forum for Black Public Administrators for four years, and is currently serving a two year term as the National President. She is a board member of United Way serving as the 2008 Regional Chair, served as Co-Chair of the Tallahassee Heart Walk with her husband Larry in 2007 and has been a volunteer and board member of Tallahassee Habitat for Humanity. She is a member of the Alumnae chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Bethel AME Church.
Ms. Favors Thompson has received two gubernatorial appointments: She was appointed to the Government Accountability to the People Commission from 1992 to 1994 by the late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles, and was appointed to the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights from 1982 to 1985 by Kansas Governor John Carlin.
Ms. Favors Thompson is married to Larry Thompson. She has 3 adult children.