Photo by Sarah Owens
Glen Adams came on as the new city manager of Homewood on March 5, 2025.
Glen Adams wasted no time stepping into his new role as Homewood’s city manager, walking into City Hall on March 5 — just two days after the City Council hired him.
He landed the role after a series of interviews and a visit to Homewood, where he met with several department heads.
“I had multiple people say that they were very impressed with the fact that Glen spent so much time with the individual department heads,” said Councilwoman Barry Smith, who served as chair of the ad hoc committee tasked with hiring the city manager. “He sort of came in with a plan of how he wanted to approach things if he were to get the job. He came in with some pretty specific ideas and had some really good conversations with department heads.”
Adams takes over amid challenges, including last year’s embezzlement scandal that led to the former finance director’s arrest for stealing nearly $1 million and a divisive referendum on how the city should select a city manager. But he isn’t focused on the past — his priority is positioning Homewood for success.
“For [my] last six years in the Army, I was really a firefighter for the Army,” Adams said. “They put me on things that weren't really solvable, and I solved them. So, I can tell you I’m not worried about coming into the situation.”
His journey toward city management began in Savannah, Georgia, in 1994 when he witnessed local leaders restore their community after a major storm. This inspired him to pursue public service, focusing on rebuilding, infrastructure and community development.
Adams previously served as a city or town manager in Martinsville and Purcellville, Virginia, and Santa Fe, Texas. He was also chief of staff for White Sands Missile Range as a Department of the Army civilian, a unique government entity required by Congress to be 45% reimbursable. After retiring from the U.S. Army — where he spent 26.5 years in active and reserve service as an officer in the Engineer Regiment — he ran his own real estate investment company, Property Magic LLC.
In September, Homewood voters approved a shift to a council-manager form of government, set to take effect in November 2025 when the new council and mayor are sworn in. Adams will help guide the transition and may remain in the role under the new administration, pending approval.
“In the military, you always talk about setting the conditions. So when you go to war, you want to set the conditions for your success,” Adams said. “In this case, we have a reversion date to a council-manager form of government, which needs to be in place before the new council comes on board, so they are not having to do all of the things that this City Council currently is doing. They go into governance in truth, creating a vision and planning for the future, and we take care of the running of the day-to-day operations. All of that has to be figured out between right now and then.”
To prepare, Adams plans to meet with department heads to understand current operations before implementing major changes. However, he already sees areas for improvement.
“It all stemmed from the original conversations in the interview,” Adams said. “We need HR. Based on the finance stuff, we need a procurement specialist who works in finance. Based on all the things that are going on, we probably need some contracted support to help the finance department set their conditions that were caught up with all of the financial issues. We need to meet all regulatory requirements, and we need systems in place so that we’re good from here on out.”
This may include hiring at least one additional finance staff member to help distribute the workload. Adams also plans to bring on an executive assistant to manage his schedule, freeing him to engage with the community while handling administrative responsibilities.
In his previous roles, Adams prioritized direct community involvement, often scheduling “walkabout time” to visit city departments and public spaces. He intends to continue this practice in Homewood.
“That’s when I go out and see what’s going on in the community and go see where my people are doing things, to see whether or not we’re doing the things we’re supposed to do,” Adams said. “Because if you get trapped behind a desk, you’ll never see those things. You can’t lead from a desk. You cannot. You have to be out there doing things to lead.”
Photo by Sarah Owens
Glen Adams (middle), Homewood City Manager, speaks to community members at the Homewood Chamber of Commerce's 22nd annual Taste of Homewood event in SoHo Plaza on March 13, 2025.
Adams has already met with the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, several department heads and local organizations and attended this year’s Taste of Homewood event.
Upon his hiring, Adams immediately moved into an apartment near downtown Homewood, believing you must be part of a community to lead it. His wife plans to join him if he stays in the role beyond the interim period.
“I would bank on me every day of the week because I put my heart and soul in the thing. I will not stop until they say, ‘Hey, you need to stop,’” Adams said. “So just like I’ve done in the other cities, when an election occurs, you make yourself available to teach them the things that our directors are doing. Set the conditions so they understand everything that is going on, so they can govern. So, regardless of anything else, they will have developed a little bit of relationships with the leadership of this city prior to November 1 coming on board, and then when November comes, we follow their guidance. If they don’t want me here, they don’t want me here. My goal, though, is to show that I’m worth having.”
Adams hopes to remain in the role long-term and retire in Homewood if he secures the position. As he settles in, he aims to be accessible and encourages residents to reach out, promising to listen.
