Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) Manager Bob Cowell has appointed Andrew Saunders as Deputy Manager in the Manager’s Office as of June 8, 2026. Saunders has served as the Interim Assistant Manager since July 22, 2024, and has worked with ACCGov for nearly 20 years. 

"Andrew has provided tremendous leadership over the past several years for some of the largest public-private partnerships in this community’s history during a great deal of change for ACCGov," says Cowell. "He knows the operations of this government and our staff extremely well and will be an invaluable addition to aid the Manager’s Office and related departments on a number of upcoming high-profile complex projects and initiatives."

Prior to his appointment as Interim Assistant Manager, Saunders led ACCGov’s Central Services Department as Director and Interim Director between 2019 and 2024. The department’s four divisions maintain ACCGov-owned property, manages most ACCGov vehicles, maintains grounds and landscapes at ACCGov facilities and roadways, and provides services for departments such as mailing, printing, parking, 800 MHz public safety communications, and telecommunications. 

"I am grateful to Manager Cowell for his confidence in me and for the opportunity to serve in this capacity," said Saunders. "Having spent nearly 20 years with this organization, I have a deep appreciation for what we do and a genuine excitement about what we can accomplish together in this next chapter."

Saunders also served as Interim Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department Director during 2022-2023 before returning to his Central Services Director role in February 2023. He also previously served as the Sustainability Officer from 2017-2019 when the Sustainability Office launched as a division of the Manager’s Office and worked for 10 years in the Central Services Department as the Community Forestry Coordinator and as Environmental Coordinator. 

Saunders earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia (UGA) and is a Certified Public Manager through the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. 

The Manager’s Office is responsible for the implementation of all policies, programs, contracts, ordinances, and resolutions as approved and directed by the Mayor and Commission. The office performs the administrative functions of the government and oversees day-to-day operations of ACCGov. For more information, visit www.accgov.com/manager.