The native of Dayton, Ohio, is Alexandria’s newly appointed city manager. At 35, Young is the youngest appointee to ever fill the position for the city, and also the first black man to do so. Formerly the city manager for Greensboro, N.C., he’s getting ready to tackle a host of issues in Alexandria — like a projected $14.4 million budget shortfall in 2013. His first day on the job will be Dec. 12. Why Alexandria?
I’ve always loved that area of the country. There are only two places in the country I wanted to live, and North Carolina was one and this was the second. What sealed the deal for me and my wife was when we came to Alexandria and poked around. We experienced Old Town, rode the trolley down King Street, went to the pier and took a tour of the Potomac. It felt good and family-friendly.
How did you get into local government?
I started working for the city of Dayton at 18.
I was going to be an engineer — I started out as a chemical engineering major. When I was still in high school, I heard about a scholarship opportunity at the University of Dayton, a partnership between the city of Dayton and the university to award a student a four-year scholarship with the university and a four-year internship with the city. I spent the next four years loving what I did.
What’s your first order of business in Alexandria?
In many respects, it’s learning what I don’t know. You can’t jump into new community and new city and just start doing things. That initial period is really based on understanding this community, understanding our organization, why and how we do things.
What are you looking forward to about your move north?
Getting immersed in the community and having my kids settle into a community with other kids. [Young’s two sons are 3 and 5 years old.]
I’m looking forward to being an Alexandrian.
– Aubrey Whelan
