Sarasota names new assistant county administrator

Sarasota has a new assistant county administrator, pending approval of the County Commission on June 12.

Brad Johnson, 37, accepted the offer to leave his assistant city manager post in Lakeland to take the Sarasota job. Johnson has been with Lakeland since 2012 and is expected to begin here July 9.

County Administrator Jonathan Lewis vacated the assistant role when the Commission last year promoted him to the role previously held by Tom Harmer, who became Longboat Key’s town manager in December.

Johnson also has held leadership roles in the Florida towns of Palm Bay and Holly Hill.

"Brad's passion for public service and his experience in local government make him the ideal fit for this position. We're excited to welcome him and look forward to his contributions as the newest member of our administrative team," Lewis said.

Johnson graduated from the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri where he received his Masters of Public Administration with a focus in public management. Additionally, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland. 

He is a native of Baltimore.