City Manager

City Manager Felicia Donnelly’s professional career combines over 25 years in both the private and public sectors with an extensive background that includes land development, government operations, communications, urban planning, and community engagement.

Most recently, she served as Assistant City Manager and Economic Development Director for the City of Oldsmar after being promoted from Director of Leisure Services.

She is a life-long advocate for building community capacity and making communities better. In her volunteer role at the Florida Recreation and Park Association, she initiated and served to create an online Impact Calculator quantifying the impact of parks and recreation facilities.

Prior to working for Oldsmar, she spearheaded many large-scale impact projects for communities across the United States, including Louisiana's first rail-to-trails project, an award-winning Transit Oriented Design Incentive program, a park and ride system, dozens of parks and recreation facilities, and a 727-seat performing arts theatre.

Felicia earned her master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. She is an AICP certified professional planner, a member of the Florida City County Managers Association, an alumnus with Leadership Pinellas, a graduate of the National Recreation and Parks Association Director’s School, a Past-President of the Florida Recreation and Park Association, and a Past-President of the Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Administer laws, ordinances, and policies fairly and equitably
  • Ensure proper administration of city operations and funding
  • Maintain the quality of life of the community
  • Propose and study policy decisions for City Council
  • Provide effective leadership in city government
  • Represent City Council's best interests, desires, and views
  • Supervise and monitor city departments

Council-Manager Form of Government

The City of Oldsmar is a Council-Manager form of government.  In this form of government, residents elect a governing body (including a chief elected official, such as a mayor) that adopts legislation and sets policy. The governing body then hires a manager with broad executive authority to carry out those policies and oversee the local government’s day-to-day operations. 

This video was developed as a part of the State of Florida's Professional
Management Matters movement, which aims to raise awareness of the role
and value of professional management in local government.