Fire chief agrees to fill in as Delray’s manager

Chief Neal De Jesus will take the helm as acting city manager to replace Delray Beach City Manager Don Cooper near the end of the month.

Delray Beach officials unanimously appointed De Jesus during a City Commission meeting Tuesday.

The fire chief said he will acMayor cept the position as long as he can return to his role in the fire department once the commission selects a full-time city manager.

“I’m honored and humbled that they would even have the confidence in me to ask me,” De Jesus said. “More so that they would be willing to return me to where I believe I’m truly called,” he said.

De Jesus said he’ll hire someFire as an interim fire chief to handle the day-to-day operations while he acts as city manager.

City Attorney R. Max Lohman said he’ll draw up a contract that allows De Jesus to return to his position once the city hires a fulltime manager.

The city hired De Jesus as fire chief in April and he has already garnered support from the department and the city.

Cary Glickstein approved of the appointment, calling De Jesus a “change agent.”

Commissioner Mitch Katz said De Jesus has “a sense of leadership that is just incredible.”

Although De Jesus doesn’t have experience as a city manager, he has served as a city commissioner in Cooper City, Florone