Leesburg, FL – The City of Leesburg is proud to announce that Robert W. Hicks, Chief of Police, is being promoted to the position of Deputy City Manager, effective Monday, May 6, 2024.

Mr. Hicks has 33 years of law enforcement experience and has worked for the City of Leesburg for 28 years; 10 of those years include service as the Chief of Police. Mr. Hicks is a US Army combat veteran, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Management from Warner University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Southern University. Mr. Hicks also graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, holds several advanced continuing education certifications and is a highly decorated police officer.

The purpose in promoting Mr. Hicks to this position is to bring an experienced, internal, proven leader to the next level of professional advancement, providing the city with executive level redundancy and an ability to better tackle high level management questions. Combined with current City Manager Al Minner, the City of Leesburg will now establish a senior executive management duo with over 60 ycars of municipal government experience.

Initially Mr. Hicks will fill an existing gap in the Purchasing Division, where the city is at a critical point with major capital improvement projects and a tremendous load of routine operations. He will also take on other assignments such as media communication, special projects and oversight of various departments. Leesburg City Manager Al Minner said of the promotion, “I welcome Rob to this new and exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to working with such a competent leader. By promoting Rob, the city gains a top-notch executive manager which will help us move the organization in a position where we can start to harvest that ‘high hanging fruit”.

With Mr. Hicks shifting duties away from the Police Department, Major Steve Rockefeller will serve in an interim capacity while a nation-wide search for the next Chief of Police is conducted. The Police Department also has multiple interal candidates that will be considered. The goal is to have the Chief of Police position filled in the next 30-60 days.