The City of Phoenix announced the hiring of Ed Zuercher as City Manager, welcoming back an experienced and respected leader to guide the City forward.
Zuercher, who retired from the role in 2021 after a 28-year career with the organization, is currently serving as Executive Director of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG). His return marks a homecoming for a public servant whose leadership shaped Phoenix into the fifth largest—and fastest-growing—city in the United States.
“There is no better person to serve as our next City Manager than Ed Zuercher, whose steady leadership will help provide the stability we need as an organization and can help us navigate the road ahead,” Mayor Kate Gallego said. “I’m looking forward to working with him, the City Council and every City employee to make our community even stronger.”
Zuercher began his Phoenix journey in 1993 as a management intern. Over the next three decades, he rose through the ranks, serving as Public Transit Director, Deputy City Manager, and Assistant City Manager before his appointment as City Manager in 2013.
During his eight-year tenure as City Manager, Zuercher rooted his leadership in a simple but powerful mantra: work smart, spend wisely, be kind. These principles guided his actions as he led a workforce of 14,500 employees serving more than 1.7 million residents. He took the helm in 2013, in the middle of the Great Recession, with the City in a $37 million budget deficit. Under his leadership, the City had a $30 million budget surplus in 2021. During his tenure, Phoenix earned national recognition, including being named the “Highest-Performing City in America” by Governing Magazine in 2017 and receiving Gold Certification from What Works Cities in 2021 for excellence in data-driven governance.
Zuercher’s leadership was especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Phoenix avoided layoffs and maintained essential services for residents without cutting programs. His emphasis on kindness and collaboration fostered a workplace culture that earned Phoenix a spot on Forbes’ list of America’s top 500 employers – the only municipality to make the list in 2021.
“It’s rare to have your dream job once in a lifetime, let alone twice and I am incredibly lucky to get that chance. I want to thank the Mayor and City Councilmembers for this opportunity, and I’m honored to return to the city I love, the best city in America, and to work alongside the dedicated employees who make Phoenix such an extraordinary place. I’m excited to get back to work.”
Zuercher’s return was approved by the Mayor and City Council on Wednesday. He will officially assume the role on November 17, 2025.
