City manager Cockrell announces retirement

David Cockrell will retire on September 30, 2022, after 13 years here in Atlanta as the City Manager. Danica Porter has been hired to replace Cockrell when he officially leaves his position.

Cockrell’s time with Atlanta started when “The Atlanta City Council hired a recruiter when former City Manager Mike Ahrens left. The recruitment announcement was circulated over multiple states and I knew the recruiter from meetings at the Oklahoma City Management Association. The position seemed like a wonderful opportunity to work in a rural area, and at the time I had only experienced suburban management in a fast-paced growth community – so we leaped at the chance,” explained Cockrell.

The current City Manager for Atlanta says that his civic service started in criminal justice. “I started working in public service as a 22-year-old policeman in Mustang, Oklahoma,” says Cockrell. “I was fortunate to advance through ranks over the years, and eventually was appointed Chief of Police. Mustang was a very fast-paced growth suburb of Oklahoma City. After service as Chief, I had the opportunity to serve as an interim City Manager – and eventually took the job permanently. I worked there for a total of 29 years.”

Since August 1, 2009, now, 13 years Cockrell has been serving the city. In that time, says Cockrell, “we’ve grown to love Atlanta and the smaller town life. It’s been the job opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so privileged to have had the opportunity to serve.”

Cockrell looks back at his time here with a sense of accomplishment. “My first day I left the office at 5:00 p.m. and drove through downtown, there wasn’t one car to be seen. I’m please we were able to work together to generate a stronger business climate downtown and start turning the corner to make that area of town more and more vibrant.”

Cockrell says he is also proud of the strong financial condition he is leaving the City in. “We have healthy fund balances and the ability to weather an economic downturn or two should that be a part of our future.”

“Mostly,” says Cockrell, “I’m proud of the servant heart of our city employees. We have a great team here in Atlanta I’m I have been blessed to be a part of that team.”

Cockrell believes now is the best time for him to leave, “As with every sunrise, there must be a sunset. I’ve been working since I was 17 years old, and it was time to take a break. This really can be a challenging job, and with the work comes a ton of responsibilities. I was just ready to go down a less stressful path for a while.”

At this point though, Cockrell has no idea what comes next after retirement. “We don’t have any firm plans, but for the foreseeable future, we’ll be residents right here in Atlanta. We will travel a bit, but I’ll still be in the stands on Friday nights cheering on the Rabbits.”

“Clearly, I’ll miss all the wonderful employees and the fine group of civic leaders that serve every day. Atlanta is truly blessed to have some of the finest employees in Texas, all with a great servant’s heart,” says Cockrell in conclusion.