New Lake Worth manager Susan Stanton shaking up City Hall

Former Largo City Manager Susan Stanton is revamping City Hall at her new job, and most of her bosses are on board with her.

Stanton took the helm as Lake Worth's city manager on April 27. And last week she urged Lake Worth's assistant city manager to step down..

"As a new city manager, you want to bring people in that complement your strengths and weaknesses," Stanton said Tuesday.

Laura Hannah, who served as assistant city manager for 5 1/2 years, resigned Friday and was given a six months severance package, said Diane Clark, the city's human resources manager.

Stanton said there would be more personnel changes to follow.

Lake Worth Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill knew about Stanton's decision and supported it, she said.

"I feel like we're lucky to have (Stanton)," Mulvehill said. "She's doing a great job for us and really helping to get our city on track."

Stanton has prepared weekly reports and showed city leaders how she plans to help the organization run more smoothly, Mulvehill said.

Lake Worth Vice Mayor Jo-Ann Golden, who also supported Stanton's decision to hire a new assistant city manager, praised Stanton's organizational skills.

"That's what we really need in the city," Golden said. "Our meetings are much shorter and to the point."

Those skills are imperative because, like many other municipalities, Lake Worth is dealing with budget cuts and plunging property values, she said.

Lake Worth Commissioner Cara Jennings said she was impressed by Stanton's ability to "create more of a team feeling among" city employees.

A diverse city of about 37,000, Lake Worth is located in Palm Beach County. Largo, which has a population of about 75,000, is known pretty much as a middle- and working-class community.

Over the past couple of years, Lake Worth has gone through a couple of city managers, Jennings said.

Stanton, 50, served Largo for 17 years, 14 as city manager. Largo commissioners fired her two years ago after news broke that Stanton, then known as Steve, planned to become a woman. Lake Worth leaders said they were looking for someone with Stanton's dependability.

"Their loss is our gain," Golden said.

Lorri Helfand can be reached at lorri@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4155.