Mark Washington

Mark Washington has served as the City Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Rapids since October 2018. In this role, he directs all municipal operations, policies, and programs across public safety, economic development, infrastructure, and community services, managing a $785 million budget and a total workforce of 2,700 employees. Driven by a commitment to elevate the quality of life for everyone, his vision is to establish Grand Rapids as a thriving, top-tier community to live, work and visit.

With 32 years of public sector experience, Washington previously served as Assistant City Manager for Austin, Texas, where he helped oversee a $4.1 billion budget and 14,000 employees.  He also provided direct executive oversight to several departments, including human resources, labor relations, fleet services, communications and technology management, building services, innovation, telecommunications, regulatory affairs and the Austin Convention Center. He provided executive leadership on labor contract negotiations, improving police oversight and community relations, hosting and planning large events such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and creating public-private partnerships to address community challenges such as equity, homelessness, digital inclusion, housing/tenant rights, right-of-way uses for disruptive technology and workforce development. 

Prior to that, as Austin's Human Resources and Civil Service Director, his strategic initiatives helped earn the city a spot on Forbes Magazine’s top 10 employers list. His early career includes key executive and management leadership roles with the City of Fort Worth overseeing HR functions and street services operations to include in-house street maintenance and overlay program, stormwater maintenance and dispatch operations. 

​Washington holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tarleton State University, an MBA from Amberton University, and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mark is a member of the International City/County Management Association and Michigan Municipal Executives, and Grand Valley Metropolitan Council. He also serves on the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., National Forum for Black Public Administrators, TenthFuture Inc., and Art Prize boards. He is a Trustee of the Michigan Municipal League and Paul Quinn College. He previously served as State President of the International Public Management Association Texas chapter and is a former board member of the Texas Municipal Human Resources Association and Austin Area Urban League, among other organizations. He holds the following certifications: International City/County Management Association Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM) International Public Management Association-Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-HR-SCP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), HR Certification Institute and Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Certified Government Benefit Administrator certification from the state and local Government Benefit Association (CGBA), among others. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.