The executive team for Amarillo consists of the City Manager’s Office, the City Secretary’s Office, and the Office of Engagement and Innovation. The City of Amarillo City Manager’s Office consists of a city manager, chief operating officer, assistant city managers, city attorney, chief financial officer, internal audit, and managing directors.
- CONTACT INFORMATION
- 806-378-3014
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623 S Johnson St
3rd Floor - Suite 3500
P.O. Box 1971
Amarillo, TX 79105
City Manager's Office HISTORY
The City of Amarillo operates under the Council-Manager form of government, adopted in 1913 as the first in Texas. This model, part of early 20th-century reforms, aimed to eliminate patronage and corruption by appointing a professional City Manager to oversee daily operations without political interference. For over a century, it has provided responsive and responsible local governance.
The Amarillo City Charter, established in 1913, defines three branches of government: Legislative (elected City Council), Administrative (appointed City Manager), and Judicial (appointed Municipal Court Judge). The City Manager, as Chief Administrative Officer, appoints all City employees except the Municipal Court Judge, who is appointed by the City Council.
City Management Team
Grayson Path Bio
Grayson Path serves as City Manager for the City of Amarillo, overseeing more than 2,300 employees and administering an annual municipal budget of approximately $557 million under the policy direction of the Mayor and City Council.
He has worked in professional city management since 2013, including service as City Administrator in Jetmore, Kansas, and Nebraska City, Nebraska, and as City Manager in Paris, Texas, before being appointed Amarillo City Manager in 2024.
Path holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University, and he focuses on effective administration, responsible stewardship of public resources, and collaborative work with the City Council and staff to meet the needs of Amarillo residents.
Andrew Freeman Bio
Andrew Freeman serves as Deputy City Manager and Chief Operating Office for the City of Amarillo. He leads Planning, Engagement and Innovation, Library, Airport, Human Resources, Information Technology, Civic, and supports Finance, Utility Billing, Community Development, Public Health, Environmental Health, WIC, and City Transit.
Andrew has been involved in local government since 2008 previously serving in Plainview, TX as Assistant City Manager/Civil Service Director, Tulia, TX as City Manager/EDC Director, and starting his career with San Marcos, TX serving in various roles.
He joined the City of Amarillo in April 2017 and was promoted to Deputy City Manager in May 2023. He also served as Interim City Manager from September 2023 to March 2024.
Having graduated from Texas State University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration, Andrew’s career has focused on city management, planning, and economic development. He holds the Economic Development Finance Professional certification through the National Development Council and is a 2019 graduate of Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute.
Andrew is actively involved in the Texas City Management Association and International City/County Management Association, serving on various committees. Locally, he serves on the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, as an ex-officio board member of the St. Anthony’s Legacy Redevelopment Corporation, and he is also a member of Elevate Amarillo.
Donny Hooper Bio
Donny Hooper is an Assistant City Manager for the City of Amarillo, Texas, with more than 30 years of experience in local government. In his current role, he oversees key city services including Public Works, Utilities (Water and Wastewater), Building Safety, Parks & Recreation, Facilities, Capital Projects, and Development Engineering, leading a workforce of more than 800 employees and managing substantial operating and capital budgets.
Before becoming Assistant City Manager in November 2024, Hooper served as Managing Director of Public Works and, prior to that, as Director of Public Works for the City of Amarillo. He joined Amarillo in 2018 after more than two decades with the City of Pampa, where he advanced through multiple roles to become Director of Public Works and led major infrastructure, solid waste, and community improvement initiatives.
Hooper’s career has focused on strengthening infrastructure, improving customer service, and modernizing city operations. His leadership experience includes planning and delivering major water and wastewater projects, expanding, and improving street and drainage systems, and using technology and data to improve solid waste, fleet, and traffic operations. He has also played a key role in capital improvement planning and in coordinating with economic development partners to support growth.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, is a Certified Public Manager, and has extensive emergency management training through FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. In addition to his municipal roles, Hooper is a frequent speaker on leadership and communication at professional conferences and leadership events.
A lifelong resident of Texas, Hooper remains active in his community. He has served in various civic and nonprofit leadership roles, plays drums in the praise and worship team at his local church, coaching youth sports, and has been a play-by-play sports broadcaster for more than 30 years, calling over 2,000 high school and college games for regional radio outlets.
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE Principles
Every day presents new challenges and opportunities to serve the citizens of Amarillo. With over 2,500 City employees, we are dedicated to:
Fostering inclusion: We aim for every citizen to feel this is their government, here to serve all in our community.
Open and honest governance: We operate with transparency and integrity.
Responsiveness: We strive to meet citizens’ needs, balancing limited resources with critical decisions.
Citizen-focused: Our primary purpose is to serve the community, providing essential services that support daily life in Amarillo.
Professional management: We handle all City affairs with balance, best practices, and a commitment to the community’s best interests.
LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION
| Prior City Managers of Amarillo | |
| M. H. Hardin | 1913-1916 |
| A.D. Armstrong | 1917-1918 |
| Jeff D. Bartlett | 1919-1920 |
| J.G. Colby | 1921-1922 |
| Jeff D. Bartlett | 1923-1928 |
| J. B. Patterson | 1929-1930 |
| W. N. Durham | 1929-1941 |
| H. R. Smith | 1932-1941 |
| A. P. Hancock | 1941-1947 |
| N. V. Moss | 1947-1963 |
| John S. Stiff | 1963-1983 |
| John Q. Ward | 1983-2005 |
| Alan M. Taylor | 2005-2011 |
| W. Jarrett Atkinson | 2011-2015 |
| Terry L. Childers (interim) | 2015-2016 |
| Bob Cowell Jr. (Interim) | 2016–2017 |
| Jared Miller | 2017-2023 |
| Andrew Freeman (Interim) | 2023-2024 |
| Floyd Hartman (Interim) | 2024-2024 |
| Grayson Path | 2024- |