Meet Coty Thigpen

Get to Know

Coty Thigpen

Woodstock’s Assistant City Manager

What is your background?

I started with the city of Woodstock in January 2020, just months before the start of the pandemic. My entire career and passion have always been in local government. As part of a leadership team in high school, I toured our local county administration building. I remember meeting the county manager and thinking, that is exactly what I want to do.

I went to the University of Georgia and received undergraduate degrees in political science and sociology, and then to Kennesaw State University for my Master of Public Administration degree.

I began as a policy intern with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and went on to be the city clerk for the cities of Canton, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs before becoming the assistant city manager in Woodstock.

What is your main responsibility?

I am responsible for general government administration support as well as direct oversight for information technology, geographical information systems, human resources and court administration.

My favorite part of my job is that there is no typical day on the job. Serving the public and providing services to the community means every single day is different, because the needs of 35,000 residents are vastly different. Most of the departments I oversee are internal facing, meaning we serve our employees. A lot of Woodstock’s success is due to the incredible staff we have, and I am passionate about taking care of the people that make our city great.

Describe a funny work experience.

It never ceases to amaze me the things people call city hall for, but I love to connect people to resources if I can’t be one. After more than 12 years in local government, I have done a little bit of everything from managing an abandoned cemetery to accidentally asking a council member to resign. When I was in Alpharetta, I had the mayor and council sign a particular ordinance they had approved. I had to make a change and track down a council member to have him re-sign the document. But I left out the hyphen, and it read, “I need you to resign.” It became a running joke, but I learned you can never underestimate the power of proper grammar!

What projects are you excited about?

Our current ‘hot’ project is the new, downtown City Center. It will bring a fresh offering of office, retail and restaurants, in addition to a much-needed parking deck and a boutique hotel with an adjoining conference center. I also am very passionate about revitalizing the Highway 92 corridor. It is the gateway to our city and thanks to our recent Livable Centers Initiative plan, we are building momentum to refresh some key areas along the corridor.

What do you like most about your job?

There is something distinct and unique about the Woodstock community. Our city has a vibe no one can quite put a finger on, but you know it when you see it. I love being a part of that. It starts with our employees. They are passionate about maintaining and preserving the best of what makes the city great, while being adaptive and progressive in how we move the city forward and keeping up with growth and change. I am very proud to work for the city of Woodstock and to be a small part of what makes residents and businesses proud to call it home.

What goals do you have?

My most immediate goal is to continue to play a part in Woodstock’s success for as long as the city will have me. I want to push and drive this city to be the absolute best it can be.

How do you spend free time?

My favorite way to spend my free time is to watch my children do the sports and activities they love. Occasionally, I can find some time to do an Orangetheory class or read a good book.