Rochelle Small-Toney When Rochelle Small- Toney steps into the role next week as Savannah's Interim City Manager, she'll bring with her a wealth of knowledge about how to operate the Hostess City.

For nearly three years, Small-Toney, the assistant city manager, has worked in the areas of economic development, poverty reduction, affordable housing, code enforcement, neighborhood revitalization and job development.

Her appointment as interim city manager is unique in the sense that “there's a relatively small number of African- American women in the field”, according to Michele Frisby, spokeswoman of the International City/County Management Association. “As of September 2009, a survey of that group showed that nationwide, 95.1 percent of local government leaders are Caucasian males”, Frisby said.

Louie Chapman Jr., the city manager in Bloomfield, Conn., who is African- American, said Small-Toney has earned a reputation of being a “competent” manager.

“It gives you an opportunity to have close relationships with your bosses,'' Chapman said. “Depending upon how well you do, you may be rewarded with the appointment.''

Small-Toney said, “I'll be in the running for the job only if there is a good marriage between me as the chief management officer and the council.” Small-Toney said she and the council face some significant challenges as the city budget is cut by a projected $5 million. “It does hurt but we're going to have to get through it,'' she said. “In the spirit of cooperation and partnership, there is no one entity that can do it alone. We are going to maintain our presence under the leadership of Mayor Otis Johnson.”

She is interested in developing the city's small businesses, which she called “the heart of the community. It's really small businesses that are our drivers. I'd like to understand what their needs are as we continue to ride through this recession.”

Small-Toney said she'd like to increase the number of minority and women-led businesses to a point that there won't be any vacant storefronts or dilapidated strip malls. “If we can improve our neighborhoods and communities, we can still feel safe. When you have blight around you, you feel trapped.''

She said she considered it a “good opportunity” to work for Michael Brown, the outgoing city manager, who ran the daily operations of the city for 15 years.

Her work under him was futile ground for her to get ready to take the helm. With more than 20 years of experience as assistant city manager in Savannah, Danville and Charlottesville, Va., Small-Toney said she held back from talking the top jobs because she had a husband and a family to take care of. Now that her children are adults, she said, she'll feel comfortable taking on more responsibilities in city government.