Farmington Hills Appoints Karen Mondora City Manager

The City Council voted unanimously to select the long-time municipal official for the top leadership role.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in People

Farmington Hills Appoints Karen Mondora City Manager

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The Farmington Hills City Council has unanimously appointed Karen Mondora as the city manager. She has led the city's administration on an acting basis since January 2026.

Why it matters

Mondora will oversee the city's $85 million budget and manage a total workforce of 980 employees. She is tasked with guiding the city's ongoing revitalization efforts and the transformation of the Grand River corridor.

As the eighth city manager in Farmington Hills history, Mondora will oversee an $85 million annual budget. She manages a total of 980 full and part-time municipal employees.

The players

Karen Mondora

She is the newly appointed city manager of Farmington Hills and a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan.

Farmington Hills City Council

This is the governing body for the City of Farmington Hills that holds the authority to appoint the city manager and approve municipal budgets.

The details

Mondora is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan who holds an environmental engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. She first joined the city staff in 2012 and previously served as the director of public services from 2016 through 2023.

Mondora joined the city staff in 2012.
She served as director of public services from June 2016 through November 2023.
Mondora was promoted to assistant city manager in November 2023.
She began serving as acting city manager in January 2026.
The City Council unanimously appointed Mondora to the position on October 28, 2026.

Market Landscape

The appointment follows the administrative procedures established under the Michigan City Manager Act regarding the selection of municipal leadership. This transition ensures continuity in the city's long-term infrastructure and development projects.

Residents can expect the new city manager to direct ongoing administrative priorities including infrastructure updates along the Grand River corridor. These leadership decisions directly impact municipal services and city revitalization initiatives affecting local homeowners and businesses.

The takeaway

Mondora brings over a decade of local government experience to her new role as the permanent city manager. Her background in environmental engineering is expected to influence the city's approach to technical and infrastructure-focused revitalization goals.