Karen Mondora will lead Farmington Hills as its permanent city manager after the City Council voted unanimously to appoint her, the city announced Oct. 27.
Mondora, the city’s eighth city manager, had served in an acting role since January, following the departure of former city manager Gary Mekjian, according to a city press release. She has been managing municipal operations for a community of nearly 84,000 residents.
Her responsibilities include overseeing a workforce of 980 full- and part-time employees, administering a budget exceeding $85 million and carrying out council policy, the city said.
Mayor Theresa Rich praised the appointment, saying Mondora has been “an exceptional asset since she started with the City in the Department of Public Services.” Rich said Mondora’s management experience and relationships would support city services and future projects.
The city identified Grand River corridor redevelopment, additional public art and community gathering spaces, and work on its strategic and master plans as priorities for Mondora.
She joined Farmington Hills in 2012. From June 2016 to November 2023, she directed Public Services, overseeing engineering, public works and building maintenance with a staff exceeding 60 full-time employees.
Her November 2023 promotion made her Farmington Hills’ first female assistant city manager, according to the city. She remained in that position until taking on the acting city manager role.
A Michigan-licensed professional engineer, Mondora earned her environmental engineering degree at Michigan Technological University.
She also serves on the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council and the National Transportation Safety Organization’s board, which lists her as secretary. The city also reports that she has emergency management certifications from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Her seven predecessors were George Majoros, Lawrence Savage, William Costick, Daniel Hobbs, Steve Brock, Dave Boyer and Mekjian. Her early focus will center on the Grand River corridor transformation and the city’s strategic planning efforts.
