City Manager's Office
 Mr. Lee R. Feldman, ICMA-CM, is the City Manager for the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a position he has held since June 2011.
Prior to his appointment as the Fort Lauderdale City Manager, Mr. Feldman was employed by the City of Palm Bay, Florida, where he served as City Manager from October 2002 through June 2011. Additionally, he has served as the City Manager of North Miami, Florida, from May 1996 to October 2002, and as the Deputy City Manager beginning in 1989. Mr. Feldman also served as an Assistant to the City Manager and Assistant City Manager to the City of North Miami Beach.
Mr. Feldman is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. He earned a Master’s Degree in Governmental Administration from the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he has completed the Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
He currently serves as a Vice President (Southeast Region) of the International City and County Management Association and has served as the President of the Florida City and County Management Association and was named the Florida League of Cities’ "City Manager of the Year" in 2006. Mr. Feldman is a member of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency National Advisory Council; served as Chair of the National League of Cities’ City Futures Panel on Public Finance; serves as a member of the National League of Cities Steering Committee on Public Safety and Crime Prevention and Advocacy; chaired the International City and County Management Association’s Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee and serves on the Association’s Sustainability Advisory Group and has served on the Association’s Task Force on Community Tools for Ending Racism. Additionally, he teaches newly elected municipal officials the principles of finance and taxation in Florida and is frequently called upon to speak to professional groups on a variety of municipal issues.
Primary Functions and Activities of the City
Manager
Fort Lauderdale's City Manager is responsible
for the operation of all City departments. In addition
to the manager's duties of providing leadership,
direction and guidance to the City departments,
the manager performs several other important functions,
including the preparation of the City's annual
operating budget and lobbying the State Legislature
for favorable consideration of City funding and
legislative requests.
Assistant City Managers
Stanley Hawthorne and Susanne Torriente serve as Fort Lauderdale’s Assistant City Managers. They oversee the City’s day-to-day departmental operations and assist the City Manager with the provision and implementation of municipal services, programs, and activities.
Assistant City Manager Stanley Hawthorne
 Prior to accepting his new position with the City of Fort Lauderdale, Stanley Hawthorne served six years as the Assistant City Manager of Lakeland, Florida, where he oversaw the departments of Human Resources, Information Technology, Risk Management/Purchasing, Internal Audit and The Lakeland Center. Mr. Hawthorne led the city’s Performance Excellence Division, where he focused on enhancing operations through performance efficiencies and process improvements. In addition, he directed Lakeland’s strategic operating plan, $600 million operating budget, and capital improvement program.
Mr. Hawthorne has more than 25 years experience in government. He previously served as City Manager of Lauderdale Lakes, Assistant City Manager and Director of Finance for Tamarac, and Director of Management and Budget for the City of Hollywood, Florida. He began his career in municipal government in 1985 in the City of Saginaw, Michigan, where he worked for seven years advancing to the position of Assistant to the City Manager.
Mr. Hawthorne holds an undergraduate degree from Troy State University in Alabama and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Virginia.
Assistant City Manager Susanne Torriente
 Susanne Torriente comes to the City of Fort Lauderdale from Miami-Dade County, Florida, where she most recently served as Director of the Office of Sustainability. In this position, Ms. Torriente was responsible for overseeing major departments critical to achieving the County’s sustainability goals, including Solid Waste Management, Environmental Resources Management, Water and Sewer, and Community Image. Ms. Torriente directed Miami-Dade County’s policy formulation, grants, energy management and reduction strategies, alternative energy options, sustainable capital development processes, water conservation, and other sustainability-related programs and initiatives. Under her leadership, the County developed and implemented its first sustainability plan, which also includes the County’s first climate action plan.
Prior to being appointed as Director of the Office of Sustainability, Ms. Torriente served as Chief of Staff and Chief Assistant County Manager. Her 20-year career with Miami-Dade County also included overseeing Police, Fire-Rescue, Corrections, and Emergency Management.
Ms. Torriente previously served as the Assistant City Manager of Coral Gables, Florida, where she oversaw the departments of Finance, Purchasing, Information Technology, Parks and Recreation, Automotive, Parking and Cable TV.
Ms. Torriente holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Miami. |
