Boca Raton’s chief financial officer, James Zervis, became interim city manager at midnight Tuesday, Oct. 28. He will run the administration and daily operations of city government while the job is filled on a longer-term basis.
The move follows the departure of City Manager Mark Sohaney, a retired U.S. Navy captain. Sohaney resigned Oct. 16 to become senior vice president of Global Military Operations at the University of Maryland Global Campus. His last day in the city job is Nov. 11.
Mayor Andy Thomson thanked Sohaney at the city council meeting Tuesday night, saying he helped improve morale and mission focus. Sohaney told the council it had been a privilege and honor to serve, adding that his philosophy was “people first, mission always.”
Under Sohaney’s written resolution, he will stay available to Zervis, at Zervis’s request, to pass along institutional knowledge and background on pending city matters. That help includes preparing for the council meetings scheduled for Nov. 9 and 10. His role during that stretch is advisory only, and Zervis will hold the city manager’s powers.
For residents, the change means the city’s day-to-day operations now sit with Zervis, a finance chief who will be guiding the city through its next council sessions.
