Chattanooga City Council tonight confirmed Mayor Kelly’s appointment of Tom Hutka as incoming Administrator for the Department of Public Works, effective January 2022.
“The around-the-clock mission of Chattanooga Public Works is critically important—clean water, safe streets, diverting our waste from landfill. Identifying experienced and transformational leadership for DPW has been a top priority since taking office,” said Mayor Kelly. “Tom’s proven track record as a civil engineer and public works administrator will be a major asset for our ability to manage and improve the bedrock infrastructure and services that Chattanoogans rely on every single day.”
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Tom Hutka has more than three decades of experience serving in local government, coming to Chattanooga most recently from Broward County, Florida where he was the Director of Public Works for a jurisdiction of nearly two million residents. Over the course of his career, he’s also served in the capacities of City Manager, Deputy County Manager, Commissioner of Engineering and Construction, and Capital Program Manager across various cities and counties.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to work for the residents of Chattanooga, and look forward to providing the very best customer service for a great community,” said Hutka.
Hutka holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Princeton University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University. Hutka will transfer his professional-engineering license for practice in Tennessee.
"Throughout the hiring process, Tom consistently expressed a strong commitment and enthusiasm for getting to know and working alongside everyone currently serving on the Public Works team—to both keep our city running smoothly and safely, as well as to help improve performance, morale, and work toward Mayor Kelly's vision for One Team and One Chattanooga,” said Mayor Kelly’s COO Ryan Ewalt.