City Manager & Staff

In 2009, Mary Bunting became the first female city manager for the City of Hampton since the position was created in 1956. She followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was city manager of Roanoke, Va., for many years and also enjoyed an illustrious career in public service.

Bunting began her career with the City of Hampton as an assistant to the city manager in January of 1990. In January 1995 she was promoted to assistant city manager.

Career Information

Highlights of her career include:

• The creation of the award-winning 3-1-1 Customer Call Center;
  Consolidation of several departments to improve customer service and save money;
• Development of a nationally recognized citizen engagement budget effort;
• Leadership of multiple development and redevelopment initiatives;
• Fostering the Resilient Hampton sea level rise and flood mitigation plan; and,
• Co-chairing, with the School Superintendent, the School System’s Academies of Hampton transformation process focusing on the community and business engagement part of the initiative. 

Since she began her tenure, Hampton was recognized with the All-America City recognition for the third time and has won multiple national level recognitions, including being a top finalist for Harvard University’s Innovation in Government Award. In 2012, Bunting was named a White House Local Innovation Champion of Change by President Barack Obama. See other honors and awards the city has earned.

She was selected by her peers to serve as chair of the Hampton Roads Regional Chief Administrative Officers.

Bunting has a master's degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a bachelor of arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. She and her husband Mark have three children: Parker, Carter, and Hannah.