J.J. Murphy City Manager

City Manager J.J. Murphy has been a featured speaker at various national conferences and in multiple print publications on public-private partnerships. His strong knowledge of creating public and private partnerships with municipal government projects enables communities to fund these projects both short and long-term. He has served in the United States Air Force for over 17 years and is currently holds the rank of Major.

Email: J.J.Murphy31@Gmail.com
Website: http://jjmurphycitymanager.jigsy.com/
Phone: 570-762-7246

J.J. Murphy, City Manager of Hobbs, New Mexico, is currently reaping the fruits of his labor with the city as it continues to grow and add to their reserves. When Murphy came to Hobbs in 2012, the city had many stagnant economic development projects. Today, Hobbs is the eighth fastest growing micro city (less than 50,000 people) in the country. Hobbs has become the heart of the so-called “EnergyPlex” region, with its emphasis on the development of viable energy solutions, including nuclear, solar, natural gas, and oil. Murphy used the successful techniques of building public and private partnerships he learned in the City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he was City Administrator. Under Murphy’s leadership, Wilkes-Barre saw similar economic improvement after a long period of economic downturn.

J.J. Murphy learned fiscal responsibility from his years in Wilkes-Barre, but he learned his leadership skills from a long and distinguished career in the US Air Force. He began his military career in 1997 as a recruitment officer at the University of Notre Dame while also studying for a Master’s degree in Public Administration at Marywood University. In 1998, he became the spokesperson for the Vandenberg Air Force Base near Santa Maria, California. Since 2000, Murphy has been Controller/Watch Supervisor at the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center which is now located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.

J.J. Murphy’s time in the military also includes a deployment to Djibouti where he directed recovery operations across fourteen nations, two continents, and three combatant commands. He has also worked to set up the first Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Recovery Joint Personnel Center in the US Southern Command to support search and rescue operations after the Haitian earthquake in 2010.

J.J. Murphy, City Manager of Hobbs, New Mexico, is perhaps best known for his proven track record of responsible public administration and city management. He graduated from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1993, and earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Marywood University in 1998. Murphy returned to Wilkes-Barre in 2002, when he was hired as Deputy City Administrator.

With a population 42,000 people and an area of seven square miles, Wilkes-Barre is the 13th largest city in Pennsylvania. It also has the 4th largest downtown workforce in the state. Wilkes-Barre appeared to be lacking in economic development opportunities when J.J. Murphy returned to the town where he completed his undergraduate studies. Murphy worked quickly to team with the Mayor and collaborate with local, state and federal leaders to rebuild Wilkes-Barre’s downtown. Before he left his role as City Administrator, Wilkes-Barre saw more than 50 new businesses open and over $150 million in downtown redevelopment.

Since his success in Wilkes-Barre, Murphy has moved on to sunny Hobbs, New Mexico, where, in his two years as City Manager, he has continued to find success for his city and his community. Hobbs has ended both years of Murphy’s leadership with a 40% surplus and currently holds a reserve balance of about $105 million. As City Manager, J.J. Murphy has taken his position as a responsibility to the people he serves. He knows that under his leadership, the city of Hobbs can continue to grow along with much of the rest of the country as long as they continue to utilize public-public and public-private partnerships.

City Manager J.J. Murphy is a highly educated and credentialed professional who has dedicated his career to serving the public and the United States of America through his service as a city manager and military officer. He has more than 12 years of experience in local government and over 17 years of experience as a military officer. He is a recognized leader with a proven track record of success in implementing high levels of operational improvements and is known for his ability to enhance productivity through utilization of his business know-how and intuitive management skills.

His time in the military has been equally successful as his time in city management. He began as a recruiter at the University of Notre Dame, went on to become a Public Affairs Officer at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and by 2000, became a Watch Supervisor at the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at the Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. After the tragedy of 9/11, Murphy volunteered for two deployments to coordinate critical search and rescue efforts. As a trusted military agent he holds a Top Secret security clearance.

He deployed in 2008 to Djibouti, Africa, to direct recovery operations across fourteen nations, two continents, and three combatant commands in direct support of the Global War on Terrorism. He also deployed immediately after the earthquake in Haiti, setting up the first Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Recovery Joint Personnel Center in the United States Southern Command where his team coordinated successful medical evacuations resulting in saving the lives of over 2,000 severely injured Haitians.

J.J. Murphy currently serves as City Manager for the city of Hobbs, New Mexico, where he is responsible for managing and leading a staff of 500 employees and a budget of $171 million.

City Manager J.J. Murphy is a highly dedicated business professional who has a proven track record of success when it comes to public administration and city management. His first municipal job after the Air Force came with his accepting the position of Deputy City Administrator with the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 2002. This was the same city where he attended King’s College and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1993. He achieved his Master’s degree in Public Administration from Marywood University in 1998.

Wilkes-Barre has a population of 42,000 and covers approximately seven square miles. It is the 13th largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is host to the 4th largest downtown workforce in the state. Upon his arrival, Wilkes-Barre was headed toward financial crisis and was on the brink of bankruptcy. J.J. Murphy City Manager helped implement a five-year recovery plan which maneuvered the City away from bankruptcy and into financial stability. His guided efforts resulted in an audited financial turnaround of $57 million from 2003 to 2009.

City Manager J.J. Murphy was able to accomplish much during his time at Wilkes-Barre. He improved the City’s financial position from its 2003 revenue of $34.3 million with a year-end negative fund balance of $4.2 million, to revenues reaching $55.9 million and a positive fund balance of $15.1 million in 2009. He currently serves as City Manager for the city of Hobbs, New Mexico, where he has continued to find success in serving the city and the community. In his two years as City Manager in Hobbs, the City has ended both years with a 40% surplus and a current reserve balance of approximately $90 million.

J.J. Murphy, a service-minded city manager, is a natural leader with the proven ability to lead cities to long lasting success.

He is currently the City Manager for Hobbs, New Mexico and has been in the position since August of 2012. During his time as the City Manager for the community, he has helped make Hobbs, New Mexico the seventh fastest growing micro city in the United States of America.

A community is considered a micro city in the United States if the city itself has a population no greater than 50,000 residents. Hobbs, New Mexico has a population amounting to approximately 40,000 people over an area of about 20 square miles. The city itself sits in the heart of Lea County, which is a county that has a population of about 65,000 people total. The county is known for its diverse energy economy, which includes nuclear, oil, solar, and gas energy sources.

J.J. Murphy City Manager is dedicated to his position as the leader of Hobbs, New Mexico and he is put the community on the path toward success. He is a recognized facilitator and leader with a record of success in maintaining high levels of operational improvements. He has the reputation for enhancing productivity through a combination of business understanding and intuitive management capabilities. He exercises fiscal discipline in times of economic boom and compiles a surplus in order to continue the community’s overall growth and prosperity for the foreseeable future.

J.J. Murphy, a service-minded city manager, is an expert when it comes to working with others in positions of leadership and upper management. During his time as the City Manager for Hobbs, New Mexico, he was faced with low morale and other aspects of the job that proved to be a leadership challenge.

In order to combat things like low city staff morale, he initiated discussion amongst staff members and implemented policy changes moving employees to a paid time off program, which many of the staff members were very enthusiastic about. The new plan was overwhelmingly supported by both the employees and the labor unions because they were included in the overall design process of the policy.

J.J. Murphy reduced 145,000 sick hours and saved approximately $2 million dollars upfront and around $500,000 dollars per year ongoing in legacy costs. He also created an employee morale committee, which significantly increased morale amongst staff members and addressed serious concerns.

J.J. Murphy, a service-minded city manager, is a highly dedicated and highly motivated individual with the proven ability to lead people down the path of long lasting success.

He has had a lengthy and successful career in government and is currently serving as the accomplished City Manager for Hobbs, New Mexico. He began working in the position in August of 2012, and he immediately demonstrated his excellent leadership abilities by ending his first year with more than $16 million dollars of budget surplus. He believes that firm fiscal discipline is the only way to quickly improve a government’s economy, and he continues to lead Hobbs, New Mexico with this value at the forefront of his overall plan.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from King’s College in 1993 and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Marywood University. In the years J.J. Murphy has been in the position of City Manager of Hobbs, New Mexico, he has helped make it the seventh fastest growing micro city in the United States of America.

In order for a city to be considered a micro city, the population must not exceed 50,000 residents; Hobbs, New Mexico consists of approximately 40,000 citizens over a 20 square mile area. The community itself sits in the middle of Lea County, which is known for being highly diverse in its energy supply. Various types of energy including nuclear, solar, gas, and oil fuel their economy and has led to the nickname, Energy Plex.

J.J. Murphy is an expert when it comes to working with others in positions of leadership and upper management. During his time as the City Manager for Hobbs, New Mexico, he was faced with low morale and other aspects of the job that proved to be a leadership challenge. In order to combat things like low city staff morale, he initiated discussion amongst staff members and implemented policy changes moving employees to a paid time off program, which many of the staff members were very enthusiastic about. The new plan was overwhelmingly supported by both the employees and the labor unions because they were included in the overall design process of the policy.

J.J. Murphy City Manager initiative reduced 145,000 sick hours and saved approximately $2 million dollars upfront and around $500,000 dollars per year ongoing in legacy costs. He also created an employee morale committee, which significantly increased morale amongst staff members and addressed serious concerns.