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Eighteen months after coming to Lakeland as assistant city manager, Rob Hernandez has been promoted to deputy city manager following Emily Colón’s recent departure. The job comes with a $20,000-a-year raise.
“Rob quickly assumed a leadership role in the very complex implementation of the 2024 wage study and related pay system,” City Manager Shawn Sherrouse told LkldNow. “Most importantly, his experiences serving in other local governments and the relationships he has built have positively influenced our decision-making process for the city of Lakeland organization.”
His background: Hernandez started with Lakeland in June 2023. He has a 30-year career in city and county government management. He started in 1994 with Broward County, where he held various positions, including deputy county administrator during his 17-year tenure.
He also served as: deputy county manager for Fulton County, Georgia, in Atlanta; deputy city manager for Coral Springs; city manager for Savannah; deputy city manager for Fort Lauderdale and, most recently, city manager for Cape Coral.
Hernandez holds a master’s degree in public administration from Nova Southeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Florida International University. He is a credentialed manager with the International City/County Management Association and a member of the Florida City/County Management Association.
He also spent more than 25 years serving as a civil affairs specialist in the United States Army Reserve
Lawsuit: Hernandez left Cape Coral under a cloud after its city council did not renew his contract, effectively firing him after two years. He filed a complaint against the city, alleging practices toward other employees were racist or anti-gay, according to the Fort Myers News-Press, .
Cape Coral officials hired GrayRobinson, a statewide firm that specializes in municipal law, to document and investigate the claims and reported they were either unsubstantiated or had only partial merit.
The law firm said that because Hernandez did not participate in the investigator’s interviews, they were unable to verify most of his claims.
The lawsuit is continuing. According to pacemonitor.com, a jury trial is scheduled for February 2026.
Sherrouse said he and city officials knew about the lawsuit when they hired Hernandez.
Pay raise: Hernandez earned $236,000 annually in Cape Coral as city manager. He started out at $142,700 in June 2023 as Lakeland’s third-highest-ranking employee. He received a raise to $156,228 and will now earn $176,977 in his new position.
Colón, who preceded Hernandez in the position, announced in July she would be departing because of a family move to Orlando. The city has initiated a search for a new assistant city manager.
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