John F. McDonough serves as the city manager of Sandy Springs, Georgia and is responsible for the oversight and management of the largest public-private partnership (PPP) for the provision of local government services in U.S. history. Under his direction, Sandy Springs and their private sector partners were awarded the prestigious Innovation Award from the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships.
He has also been city manager of Beaufort, S.C., and served in Albany, Ga., and other South Carolina cities. McDonough holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.
Mr. McDonough is recognized as a leading authority on the implementation of public/private partnerships and has presented nationally and internationally on the concept and potential benefits to local governments. He has provided advisory assistance to cities in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado and Texas as well as to cities in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and China. He is currently serving as an advisor, under a Japanese government grant, to cities in Japan that are considering transitioning to the Public/Private Partnership model.
McDonough has authored articles supporting the benefits of PPP for PM Magazine and contributed material for the recently published book entitled, Public/Private Partnerships for Local Government.
McDonough is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, where he currently serves as the Reserve Assistant Chief of Staff (Manpower) for U.S. Marine Forces Pacific. He is a member of the Sandy Springs Chamber Board and is actively involved in coaching youth sports.