COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus Council approved three permanent department directors at its Oct. 13, 2026, regular meeting: Kimberly Mitchell for Community Reinvestment, Edward Allen Minton for Facilities Maintenance and Everett Fleming for the METRA Transit System. Each appointment was a resolution on the City Manager's agenda, and the council's post-summary minutes list all three as approved. The summary does not show individual vote counts, so this story does not state a tally.

The minutes list Mayor B.H. "Skip" Henderson, III, and all councilors as present, along with City Manager Tyson Begly; the minutes show no absences, though three councilors are noted as arriving after the 9 a.m. start. The three resolutions were items 1, 2 and 3 on the City Manager's agenda. The minutes record the outcome of each item but not any discussion.

The council acted three weeks ago, but the appointments matter to residents now because these offices oversee buses, housing and federal grant money, and city buildings. The city's Sept. 22 press releases describe each choice and the background of each appointee. Everything below about their careers comes from those releases, and the quotes are the appointees' statements in the releases, not interviews with Columbus Times.

Who is Kimberly Mitchell?

Mitchell will lead the Community Reinvestment Department. According to the city release, City Manager Tyson Begly selected her. She has been Assistant Director of the Community Reinvestment and Real Estate Department since August 2022, and she is an urban planner with nine years of local-government experience.

Before joining the city, the release says, she was a Senior Planner with Mosaic Community Planning and a Junior City Planner with the City of Fairburn. She is AICP certified, holds a bachelor's degree in History from Tufts University and a master's in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Tech. The release says she is originally from Union City, Georgia.

The release says her department coordinates programs involving federal and state funding, community development, housing, real estate and planning. In the release, Mitchell said: "I am truly excited about the opportunity to serve the citizens of Columbus in this new role. I look forward to working alongside our community, City leadership, and our dedicated team to help address some of the critical needs of our neighborhoods." The release does not list specific programs or goals beyond that statement.

Who is Allen Minton?

The council approved Edward Allen Minton as Director of the Facilities Maintenance Department. The city release calls it a "newly created Facilities Maintenance Department" and says he is the "CCG's first Director of Facilities Maintenance." CCG refers to the Columbus Consolidated Government.

He has been with the city's Facilities Maintenance Division since June 2023 and has served as Interim Director since December 2025. The release says he has more than 20 years of facility maintenance and building management experience. It also says he was born and raised in Columbus and has a business administration degree from Columbus State University.

The release says the city has more than 600 facilities. It names the Judicial Center, Synovus Park, the renovated Sheriff's Office, new pools and splash pads, the renovated City Hall and the Jail among the projects he works on with the project manager. In the release, Minton said: "My goal is simple: take care of our people, take care of our facilities, and be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars."

Who is Everett Fleming?

Fleming will direct the METRA Transit System, the city's bus service. The release says he has worked for Columbus Consolidated Government since 2017, first as Parking Manager, then as Planning Manager and Assistant Director. He has been Interim Director of METRA since December 2025.

The release says he has more than 28 years of experience in marketing, procurement, program development, finance, transit and federal regulations. He was born in Forrest City, Arkansas, and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He also has dual master's degrees from Regis University in Market Strategy and Information Systems.

In the release, Fleming said: "I am privileged to accept the appointment as METRA Transit System's Director and am inspired by the opportunity to lead our transit system into its next chapter of growth and service." The same Oct. 13 minutes show he received the "Communities in Motion Day" proclamation as Interim Director. The release does not describe specific service changes.

How were the directors chosen?

Each release says the appointee comes highly recommended by the City Manager's selection committee, with the same members named for all three. It included Deputy City Managers Lisa Goodwin and Pam Hodge, Finance Director Angelica Alexander and Human Resources Director Ola Terrell. Each release says City Manager Begly selected the appointee.

Each of the three has held an interim or senior role with the city before the council vote. Minton and Fleming have been interim directors since December 2025, and Mitchell has been an assistant director since August 2022. That means the council's action made permanent leaders of people who were already running or helping run these offices.

What is not known

Several details are not in the sources reviewed. Salaries and start dates were not found, and neither were any plans for a swearing-in or introduction. The minutes summary does not show how each councilor voted or whether the council discussed the items.

Full minutes or video of the Oct. 13 meeting may answer the vote and discussion questions. The city's agenda and minutes page is at columbusga.gov/coc/Agenda-and-Minutes. Columbus Times has not independently confirmed the effective dates of the appointments.

What to know

The council approved all three appointments on Oct. 13. The directors lead departments that handle housing and grant programs, city buildings and the bus system. Residents with questions about those services can start with the departments themselves.

• Kimberly Mitchell: Director, Community Reinvestment Department
• Edward Allen Minton: Director, Facilities Maintenance Department (the city's first)
• Everett Fleming: Director, METRA Transit System
• Council action: Oct. 13, 2026, regular meeting, all three approved
• City contact listed in the releases: City Manager Tyson Begly, (706) 570-4972
• Meeting records: columbusga.gov/coc/Agenda-and-Minutes

Residents who want the official record can read the Oct. 13 summary minutes on the city's meeting site. The city's press releases and news page are at columbusga.gov. Questions about the appointments can go to the City Manager's office at the number listed above.