SAN ANTONIO – A new era in our city government starts in less than a month, and heading that change will be Peter Zanoni.
Zanoni takes over as Corpus Christi’s new permanent city manager May 20; nearly a year after Margie Rose stepped down from the position.
Zanoni brings with him 22 years working for the City of San Antonio. He’s been budget director, assistant city manager, and finally deputy city manager there. That experience he believes has prepared him to handle whatever challenges Corpus Christi may bring.
“What has really sparked my interest is the tremendous growth that is happening and the massive investment that’s happening in Corpus Christi,” Zanoni said during an interview from his office in downtown San Antonio.
In Zanoni’s San Antonio tenure, he helped oversee tremendous growth, albeit in a behind-the-scenes capacity. His new job brings Zanoni to the center stage where he will be in charge of it all.
“San Antonio is a city of 1.5 million, it’s a little bit larger than Corpus Christi, but Corpus Christi is no small city,” said Zanoni. “Understanding program delivery and service delivery on a scale like this have prepared me well.”
Zanoni’s major priority in his new job is improving the city’s infrastructure in order to accommodate growth. He knows there won’t be a quick fix to the city’s issues, but he’s committed to the project.
“This is going to take some energy, this is a 5-to-15-year commitment,” said Zanoni. “It’s a big organization, and big organizations don’t turn in a different direction overnight, so it’s going to take some time.”
Zanoni says he wants to make the City of Corpus Christi an “employer of choice.” He wants people on his team who want to work for the city and make it a better place.
“Building a strong and professional executive team is one of the keys to success for the community, so that’s one of the first things we’ll be looking at,” said Zanoni.
Zanoni came away from his meetings with Mayor Joe McComb and the rest of the city council impressed with our leaders, calling them dedicated public servants with a vested interest in improving the city.
He’s also quite familiar with the Coastal Bend. Zanoni, his wife, and three sons have been coming to the area for years. They bought a vacation home in Sinton 12 years ago.
Now, he needs to find a home in the city.
