Kevin Hogencamp stood before a room of neighbors, city officials and business leaders Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Adele Grage Cultural Center and told them he works for them.

"It's the greatest honor, and it's you that I work for," Hogencamp said at a reception marking his transition from interim to permanent Atlantic Beach city manager.

The Atlantic Beach City Commission selected Hogencamp for the permanent post June 8 after he served five months as interim city manager, according to a city announcement. Commissioners voted 4-1 on June 22 to approve his employment agreement and rescinded a resolution that had authorized an outside executive recruitment search, according to the June 22 meeting agenda.

Atlantic Beach Preservation hosted the reception, which drew Mayor Curtis Ford, Commissioner Bruce Bole, Neptune Beach City Manager Richard Pike and members of the city's civic and business community, the Beach Gazette reported.

Hogencamp is no outsider. Originally from Smiths Station, Alabama, he earned a communications degree with a journalism focus from the University of Alabama and spent 20 years as a reporter, including covering local government for The Florida Times-Union. He joined Atlantic Beach's staff in 2017, served as deputy city manager from June 2017 through January 2026, then stepped into the interim role.

Former Atlantic Beach Mayor Bill Gulliford, who also served as Jacksonville City Council president, told the Beach Gazette he has known Hogencamp since his Times-Union days covering local government.

Mayor Ford, who worked alongside Hogencamp for four years before the permanent appointment, said community connection drove the commission's choice. Ford told the Beach Gazette that Hogencamp understands and connects with Atlantic Beach residents, calling communication one of his core strengths.

Ford and Hogencamp are now collaborating on what they call a "customer-centric city hall" initiative aimed at redesigning city processes, including building permit approvals, around the resident experience.

Hogencamp also said Atlantic Beach is adding a full-time communications position, building on lessons learned during the city's response to a past hurricane that he described as a turning point in how the city talks to residents.

Atlantic Beach Preservation chair Susanne Barker credited Hogencamp with responding directly to resident concerns during his earlier interim stint, recounting a 2017 dispute over the city's tree-removal review process. Hogencamp confirmed the timeline: he issued a memo on April 12, 2017, directing staff to follow the city's tree code more strictly.

He closed the evening with a pledge to residents: "I am committed to us being as good as we can be at this thing called local government."

Coming up in Atlantic Beach:

• Wednesday, Aug. 19: Third budget workshop, 6 p.m., City Commission Chamber, City Hall, 800 Seminole Road
• Monday, Sept. 14: First public budget hearing, 6 p.m., City Commission Chamber
• Monday, Sept. 28: Final budget hearing and property tax rate approval, 6 p.m., City Commission Chamber