Acworth City Manager Brian Bulthuis has retired after nearly 25 years as the city’s top administrator. He stepped down June 18 and city leaders plan to promote from within to fill his vacancy.
“Acworth was a small bedroom community of about 6,000 and today we are a thriving community of 24,000 with exciting housing opportunities with a wonderful downtown and a great quality of life for everyone,” Bulthuis wrote in a statement.
During a special meeting Friday, the Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a motion to install James Albright, who’s been Acworth’s director of parks, recreation and community resources for 16 years. He joined the city’s ranks as a summer camp counselor in 2000.
“It’s a big honor for me,” Albright told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. “To be able to serve in this capacity in a community I was born and raised in, it does so much for me and my personal growth.”
Albright, 39, took the helm as the interim city manager Monday. Council members are expected to approve his finalized contract and appoint him in a permanent capacity July 15. He will earn $150,000 as the new chief of staff, leading a team of about 170 employees across nine city departments.
Bulthuis came to Acworth from Michigan in October 1996. He guided the city through a period of growth and helped attract national retail chains like Target, Walmart and Best Buy to town. Acworth got a new City Hall, police department headquarters and community center during his tenure. He also helped oversee a major downtown revitalization plan that took shape in 2017.
Albright was the lone finalist for the position. He earned a Master’s degree in public administration from Kennesaw State University in 2008. He lives in Acworth with his wife and two children.
Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood worked along Bulthuis for 22 years. He said the former city manager mentored Albright to one day become his successor.
“Brian and our team have groomed James Albright really over a period of years,” the mayor said. “We recognized the talent that James had ... we didn’t do a search because James was always going to be in the succession plan when Brian retired.”
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