Sharmili Reddy appointed Covington’s first female city manager

Reddy, currently Executive Director of Planning and Development Services (PDS) of Kenton County, will take over from Ken Smith on Aug. 18

Sharmili Reddy / covingtonky.gov

Kentucky’s City of Covington has appointed Indian American Sharmili Reddy as its next City Manager, marking the first time in history that a woman and a woman of color will hold the position.

Reddy, currently Executive Director of Planning and Development Services (PDS) of Kenton County, will take over from Ken Smith on Aug. 18, the Covington Board of Commissioners said.

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At PDS, Reddy served 20 local jurisdictions, including Covington, and oversees building codes, community development, infrastructure engineering, geographic information systems, planning, zoning, and code enforcement. She previously served as City Administrator of Fort Mitchell for five years, working with city leadership on economic development and strategic projects.

Mayor Ron Washington said the board acted quickly to confirm Reddy. “We moved with urgency because we knew we had an exceptional candidate in Sharmili Reddy. She is smart, collaborative, and already deeply committed to serving Covington,” he said.

Reddy thanked the Board for the appointment. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Covington for years in my role at PDS, so this role felt like a natural next step,” she said. “I’m truly excited to be part of the real momentum and meaningful progress Covington is experiencing.”

The city’s government structure will change to a Mayor–Council model on Jan. 1, 2027, with the City Manager role continuing until then as the chief administrative officer overseeing daily operations.

Reddy holds a master’s degree in community planning from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, India.

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