 Michael Leonard
Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich has nominated Mike Leonard, a “proud son of Biloxi and decorated Marine veteran with a wealth of management experience, for Chief Administrative officer.
The appointment is subject to confirmation by the members of the Biloxi City Council at their meeting on Tuesday.
“I’m confident that the majority of the City Council will see that Mike Leonard is highly qualified to help this city move forward,” Gilich said. “I want to thank Paul Tisdale for his willingness to offer to serve as CAO without pay. I want to thank the three members of the council – George Lawrence, Kenny Glavan and David Fayard – who supported Paul’s nomination. Since we do not have another councilmember willing to confirm Paul to serve without pay, we must move on to fill the essential job of Chief Administrative Officer.”
If approved by the council, the new CAO would be paid $105,000 a year and begin Oct. 1.
Leonard, graduated from Notre Dame High School in Biloxi in 1965 and from the U.S. Naval Academy before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marines.
After serving in Vietnam, his 28-year Marine Corps career included serving as public works director of a major installation, commander of a 2,500-Marine support group, and assistant chief of staff for logistics for the Marine Corps facilities worldwide.
Leonard, 68, retired from the Marines in 1997 as a colonel and has served in the private sector as general manager of an 1,800-member workforce at Naval Support Facility at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory and director of operations Kellogg Brown & Root.
In 2006, he became vice president of base services for EMCOR Government Services, managing $120 million in annual contracts and about 1,000 employees through the U.S., including Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Leonard has a Master of Engineering Administration degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy.
See the agenda
Weekend preview
Saturday morning, the Biloxi Fireman’s Day Parade, a tradition that once was more popular than the city’s Mardi Gras, will roll through downtown with more than 20 antique and present day fire trucks from the Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Bay St. Louis, Keesler, the Air National Guard and Pascagoula fire departments. The parade begins at 10 a.m. followed by an open house at the West End Hose Co. No. 3 Museum.
Saturday evening, the second annual Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk, with a start and finish at the Margaritaville Resort, will begin at 6 p.m. The event helps provide funding for the organization of New York firefighters who have delivered Christmas gifts to the Mississippi Gulf Coast annually since Hurricane Katrina.
Elsewhere, the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum’s annual $10,000 drawdown takes place at the museum, Trace Adkins performs at the IP and Grand Funk Railroad will entertain at the Hark Rock.
See the parade route
See more about the 5K
News and notes
Soccer registration: The Parks and Recreation Department will hold registration for soccer, ages 4-7, on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Donal Snyder Community Center. Parents must show child’s birth certificate and, for Biloxi residents, proof of residency. To see the flyer, click here.
Podcast:Â The weekly recording of the City Desk Podcast is now available for listening. With the absence of Vincent Creel, the podcast is rather short but provides an update on city activities. To listen, click here.
Swimming hours: Beginning Monday, the Biloxi Natatorium will open weekdays at 5 a.m. To see more about the Biloxi Natatorium, click here.
City Council meeting: The next scheduled meeting of the Biloxi City Council will be Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 1:30 p.m. at the Biloxi City Hall. Â To see the agenda, click here.
