Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato has selected a new county manager, her office announced Wednesday.
Innamorato will nominate John Fournier, an assistant city manager in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the position. The county manager is responsible for budgeting, developing policies, ensuring the day-to-day functioning of the county and assisting the county executive in carrying out its goals.
“I like working for elected officials who want to challenge the status quo, who want to create positive change and really transform organizations to be more effective,” Fournier said in an interview with WESA Wednesday morning. “And I think the county commissioner is one of those people.”
Fournier has worked for the City of Ann Arbor since 2018. He previously held numerous positions in Pittsburgh city government, including deputy chief of staff to former Mayor Bill Peduto. He also served as chief of staff to former City Council member Natalia Rudiak – who laid the foundation for a new generation of leaders like Innamorato – and director of street and metered parking for the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.
“We are pleased to welcome John back to Allegheny County after several years of serving in the City of Ann Arbor,” Innamorato said in a statement announcing the move. “His extensive and deep knowledge of local government, including his expertise in creative revenue solutions and navigating challenging financial scenarios, as well as his deep knowledge and unwavering love of Allegheny County, make him the perfect candidate to be our next County Manager.”
In an interview, Fournier said his top priority is implementing Innamorato’s “All In Allegheny” agenda, a progressive plan that aims to make the county a more attractive place to work, create more affordable housing and make decision-making more accessible, among other things.
“The county government has a vision that people who come to the county to use our services should get help and that the process should be painless for them,” Fournier said. “And that’s something I’m really excited to work on.”
During his time in Ann Arbor, Fournier helped plan and implement a guaranteed income pilot program and led the city’s lobbying efforts, which he said resulted in over $30 million in additional state and federal grants for the city.
Ann Arbor is a small city with a population about one-tenth the size of Allegheny County. Its $130 million operating budget is tiny compared to that of a county that spends over a billion dollars annually. But Fournier said his work in all city departments and his tenure in Pittsburgh’s much larger government makes him ready to take the reins at the county.
“I have experience managing and administering large organizations,” he said. “With that experience under my belt, I’m not worried about expanding into Allegheny County.”
Acting County Manager Steve Pilarski has held the position since Jennifer Liptak resigned in June to serve on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Liptak worked with Fournier during his years in Pittsburgh government and praised his selection.
“John was always someone you could call and he did his best to solve the problem. It’s very valuable to have someone like that in government,” she said.
Liptak cited Fournier’s efforts to stabilize the city’s finances after the city was assigned financially distressed city status under Act 47. As Peduto’s staff member, Fournier led and wrote the city’s final Act 47 recovery plan, which released Pittsburgh from state oversight two years earlier than expected.
“You have to think long-term, not short-term. And it’s difficult to plan strategically and think about how the decision you make today will affect a potential problem or decision you have to make a year from now,” she said. “John, from what I know of him, is the type of person who doesn’t shy away from any problem, but also has a dynamic mindset that allows him to think strategically. That’s key: not being able to think about today. It’s not a game of checkers. We play chess here in the county.”
Milton Dohoney Jr., Ann Arbor’s city manager, worked closely with Fournier and said his time there prepared him to take on a leadership role in a larger government.
“He’s worked in a variety of communities,” Dohoney told WESA. “He knows the Pittsburgh community because he’s been there before. He’s worked with elected leaders at a high level. I think all of that prepares him to be able to take on this new role.”
Dohoney also noted that Fournier “has served in a variety of roles for the City of Ann Arbor during his tenure.” Fournier began working for the city in 2018 as an assistant city manager, then served concurrently as interim human resources director, then worked his way up to assistant city manager.
“He’s worked on projects, he’s worked on legislation, he’s worked on the financial aspect of running the city. So I think all of those different experiences have prepared him well for the opportunity that lies ahead of him,” Dohoney said.
The County Council must approve Fournier’s nomination, and he will take office as acting county manager on September 9.
This story is evolving and will be updated.
Chris Potter contributed to this story.
