The Claremore City Council announced tonight it has selected John Feary as Claremore’s new city manager.
Feary has been serving as acting city manager since July. His appointment is effective immediately and extends through the end of the fiscal year (June 2021).
“This is a big moment for me and my family, and I appreciate the confidence the council has in my abilities,” said Feary. “Claremore is an amazing community and on an upward trajectory. I plan to continue to build on that positive foundation.”
The City of Claremore operates under a Council-Manager form of government which combines the political leadership of an elected city council and the managerial experience of an appointed manager. The city manager contract is evaluated annually by the Claremore City Council.
“John was an obvious choice for this position,” said Bill Flanagan, Claremore mayor. “He is a true public servant with a great deal of experience in municipal objectives. John understands our town and what our city needs to advance our priorities.”
Feary will oversee the day-to-day operations and fiduciary responsibilities of the city, including a staff of 275 and a budget of $82 million. As city manager, Feary also serves on the Heritage Hills Interlocal Cooperative and the Rodeo Arena Interlocal Cooperative. John is also the President of the Gatesway Board of Trustees and is the Vice Chair of the Small Business & Manufacturing Committee for the Oklahoma State Chamber.
Feary started his career in public service in 2003 with the Tulsa County Assessor’s office. From 2008 to 2017, he worked with the City of Owasso as the legislative affairs director and capital projects manager. Through that experience, Feary developed a comprehensive understanding of the importance of reliable infrastructure and sound economic initiatives for Oklahoma communities. Since 2017, John has served as executive director of the Claremore Industrial & Economic Development Authority focused on attracting, retaining and expanding jobs throughout Rogers County. CIEDA announced the appointment of Meggie Froman-Knight as CIEDA’s Interim Executive Director.
“On behalf of the CIEDA board and staff, we wish to congratulate John on the announcement of his selection to serve as Claremore’s City Manager. CIEDA looks forward to its continued partnership with the City of Claremore as we work to better the place we call home,” said Ryan Neely, chairman of the Claremore Industrial and Economic Development Authority.
John is married to Chelsea Levo Feary who is an economic developer and they have two children, Ian and Emma.
