[Archived] Alexandria City Council Names James Parajon as Next City Manager

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2021

At a special meeting on December 1, the Alexandria City Council appointed James F. Parajon as Alexandria’s next City Manager, effective January 18, 2022. Parajon will be the successor to current City Manager Mark B. Jinks, who is retiring in January. 

“A nationwide search for our next City Manager was shaped by input from Alexandria residents, business owners, and City staff to find the right combination of strengths, experience and qualities to lead Alexandria’s City government,” Mayor Justin Wilson said. “With input through surveys, town halls and review panels, City Council sought to find a candidate who would reflect our values and we found that in Jim Parajon. We look forward to working with Jim, City staff and Alexandrians to accomplish great things together.”

Parajon brings nearly three decades of experience as a professional planner with an extensive technical and management background. He has managed the short- and long-range activities of large, multidisciplined consultant firms and municipal organizations; advised elected officials and local government staff on development, design, transportation and growth policies; and conducted training workshops for interest groups, the business community, and professionals on a regional and national level.

Parajon comes to Alexandria from the City of Arlington, Texas, where he has served since 2006. His most recent role has been serving as Deputy City Manager for Asset Management, Communication & Legislative Affairs, Economic Development, Esports Stadium, Fire, Libraries, Office of Strategic Initiatives, Handitran and the Municipal Airport. Prior to his current role, Parajon served as Arlington’s Community Development and Planning Director, where he was responsible for the management of real estate services, planning, and the Arlington Housing Authority; civil engineering, federal grant programs, and natural gas well functions; and development services and building inspections functions. 

Parajon has previously worked for the North Carolina cities of Raleigh and Cary. His experience also includes almost a dozen years managing planning functions for large private consulting firms, including URS Corporation and Buchart Horn Inc. Parajon, a graduate of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, completed his master’s degree in Regional Planning at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 2014, he was elected to the College of Fellows for the American Institute of Certified Planners. He has presented at national and regional conferences on a variety of planning topics and has served as an adjunct professor for the University of Texas at Arlington.

Raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, Parajon looks forward to returning to the East Coast. He will relocate to Alexandria with his wife, Elizabeth, an educator with experience in both public and private schools. He is especially proud of his children, Eric and Stephanie, who are currently attending university.

Parajon will work closely with City staff over the coming weeks to help shape the Fiscal Year 2023 budget according to City Council’s budget priorities. Learn more in this introduction video. Opportunities for community members to meet James Parajon will be announced in January.

Visit alexandriava.gov/Council for more information.  

For inquiries from the media only, contact Kelly Gilfillen, Acting Director of Communications and Public Information, at kelly.gilfillen@alexandriava.gov or 571.208.9001.