Steve Howard of Citrus County: Experienced Leadership in Local Government
Steve Howard of Citrus County has built a career in public administration spanning more than 35 years, developing extensive experience in organizational leadership, strategic planning, financial management, and community-focused government. A Florida native, Howard has served communities in Florida and Georgia throughout his career, taking on increasingly significant leadership responsibilities before returning to his home state to serve as Citrus County Administrator.
Steve Howard was appointed Citrus County Administrator in November 2022. In this position, he serves as the chief executive responsible for the day-to-day administration of county government and for carrying out the policies and priorities established by the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners. His responsibilities include executive oversight of an organization with more than 800 employees and a budget exceeding $500 million.
The scale of the position requires Steve Howard of Citrus County to balance immediate operational responsibilities with long-term planning. County government encompasses numerous departments, services, initiatives, and priorities, and his role involves bringing these different functions together around the broader objectives established by county leadership. Financial stewardship, organizational performance, workforce leadership, strategic planning, and service delivery are all important parts of that responsibility.
More Than Three Decades in Public Service
Steve Howard’s work in Citrus County represents the latest chapter of a public-service career that has taken him through several local-government environments. Before joining Citrus County, he spent 15 years as County Administrator for Camden County, Georgia. Earlier in his career, Howard held leadership positions with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Seminole County, DeSoto County, and the City of Punta Gorda. These roles exposed him to different organizational structures, community priorities, economic circumstances, and operational challenges.
That variety has helped shape Howard’s approach to administration. Local governments may share many fundamental responsibilities, but every community has its own priorities and circumstances. Effective public administration therefore requires leaders who can apply established management principles while remaining responsive to the particular needs of the communities they serve.
Steve Howard’s longevity in the profession was formally recognized on October 29, 2025, at the 111th International City/County Management Association Annual Conference, where he received a 35-year service award. The recognition honored his contributions to local-government organizations and his work implementing programs focused on quality, efficiency, responsibility, and responsiveness.
Leading a Large County Organization
As Citrus County Administrator, Steve Howard works closely with the Board of County Commissioners to put policy direction into practice. County departments and divisions report through the County Administrator, making coordination across the organization an important part of his work. Managing an organization with more than 800 employees requires more than establishing priorities from the executive level. It also means creating an environment in which department leaders and employees understand their responsibilities, communicate effectively, and have the organizational support necessary to perform their jobs.
Steve Howard of Citrus County places importance on clear expectations, professional accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. County employees are often the most visible connection residents have with their local government, meaning their ability to provide professional and responsive service directly shapes the public’s experience. For Howard, strong administration therefore begins within the organization itself. Encouraging departments to communicate, reducing unnecessary barriers between functions, and recognizing the knowledge of employees can help government operate more effectively. Employees who work directly with particular programs and services can also provide valuable insight into operational challenges and potential improvements.
A Leadership Philosophy Centered on Listening
Communication has become a defining element of Steve Howard’s leadership philosophy in Citrus County. His approach emphasizes listening to residents, county employees, elected officials, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders before determining how government can best address an issue. Listening is especially important in local government because decisions can directly affect residents’ daily lives. Different groups may approach the same issue from very different perspectives, and understanding those perspectives can provide administrators with a more complete picture of a community’s needs.
Within county government, the same principle applies. Employees working closest to an operational issue may recognize challenges or opportunities that are less visible from an executive position. Maintaining open lines of communication can help bring those observations into the decision-making process. Listening does not mean every request can be accommodated. County government operates within financial, regulatory, legal, and practical constraints, and leaders regularly face competing priorities. Steve Howard’s approach instead emphasizes gathering relevant information and perspectives so decisions can be made thoughtfully and with an understanding of their broader consequences.
Financial Stewardship and Long-Term Planning
One of the most substantial responsibilities for Steve Howard, County Administrator, is helping oversee a Citrus County budget of more than $500 million. Managing public resources on that scale involves evaluating priorities across numerous departments while maintaining essential services, supporting employees, addressing infrastructure needs, and preparing for future demands. Steve Howard approaches financial management as a long-term responsibility rather than simply an annual budgeting exercise. Decisions made during one budget cycle can influence county operations for years, particularly when they involve infrastructure, staffing, technology, or other significant investments.
His role requires coordinating departmental needs with the policies established by the Board of County Commissioners while encouraging responsible resource management throughout county government. Fiscal responsibility, in this context, includes carefully evaluating both expenditures and investments. Spending public resources effectively may sometimes require investing today in improvements that strengthen services, increase efficiency, or reduce future costs. This forward-looking perspective also influences Howard’s broader approach to strategic planning. Citrus County must continually prepare for changing population needs, infrastructure demands, economic conditions, regulatory requirements, workforce challenges, and community expectations. Anticipating those changes can allow government to respond proactively rather than waiting until emerging issues become urgent.
Education and Executive Development
Steve Howard’s decades of practical government experience are complemented by extensive education and professional training. He earned a Master of Public Administration from Bellevue University, providing an academic foundation in areas including public policy, government administration, organizational leadership, and financial management. He is also a graduate of the International City/County Management Association Senior Executive Institute Leadership Program at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Howard additionally completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
His professional development also includes graduation from the Florida Center for Public Management’s Certified Public Manager Program at Florida State University. Howard holds the professional designations of ICMA Credentialed Manager and Certified Public Manager. Together with his executive education, these credentials reflect an ongoing investment in professional development throughout a career that has required him to navigate evolving expectations for local government.
Recognition for Leadership in Citrus County
Steve Howard’s work in Citrus County received additional recognition in April 2026, when Gov Business Review named him County Administrator of the Year. The recognition highlighted his administrative expertise, thought leadership, and leadership of Citrus County Government initiatives. While the award recognized Howard individually, his approach to administration emphasizes the collective nature of local-government accomplishments. Major county initiatives generally require cooperation among elected officials, administrators, department leaders, employees, outside organizations, and community partners.
Creating alignment among those groups is one of the central responsibilities of the County Administrator. Steve Howard’s work involves translating policy direction into coordinated action while making sure departments have the leadership and organizational framework necessary to carry out their responsibilities.
Focused on Citrus County’s Future
Today, Steve Howard’s focus is on helping Citrus County operate effectively while preparing for what comes next. His responsibilities touch nearly every part of county administration, from financial planning and workforce leadership to organizational performance and long-term strategy. His approach combines decades of experience with an emphasis on communication, collaboration, accountability, and responsible use of public resources. At the center of that philosophy is the idea that government must be both responsible and responsive: responsible in how it manages taxpayer resources and carries out established policies, and responsive to the changing needs and concerns of the people it serves.
After more than 35 years in local government, Steve Howard brings experience from multiple communities and organizations to his role in Citrus County. Since becoming County Administrator in 2022, he has applied that background to an organization of more than 800 employees responsible for managing a budget exceeding $500 million and delivering services throughout the county. As Citrus County continues to grow and change, Howard’s role remains centered on connecting today’s decisions with tomorrow’s needs. Working alongside the Board of County Commissioners, county employees, residents, businesses, and community partners, Steve Howard continues his career-long focus on strengthening local government through thoughtful planning, effective administration, and leadership that listens.