Apopka’s next City Administrator: A promise, a placeholder, and unanswered questions

Apopka Interim City Administrator Brian Mater.

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One man has the office. Another person, still unnamed, has the mayor’s endorsement. So far, the hiring records released by the City of Apopka name only the man who is supposed to leave that office when the permanent administrator arrives.

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Brian Mater, Mayor Nick Nesta’s former campaign manager, began serving as interim city administrator November 2. Two days later, Nesta told commissioners a permanent administrator was already lined up — someone with “incredible experience” who had invested time and built relationships.

But when The Apopka Voice requested city administrator applications and résumés through a public records request, the city provided only Mater’s documents. Those records describe the background of the temporary hire, whom Nesta expressly ruled out for the permanent position.

The city has since confirmed that the job was publicly posted through its Tyler system. It has not identified the permanent candidate, explained the anticipated March starting date, or confirmed whether Mater will move into the new chief of staff position afterward.

Four questions, a partial answer

The Apopka Voice asked Public Information Director Steve Montiero where the position was advertised, whether the permanent administrator would be a current city employee, why March was the expected start date, and whether Mater would become chief of staff after his interim assignment.

“The position was publicly posted through the city’s Tyler system as part of our ongoing efforts to plan for the future of Apopka,” Montiero said.

But his response did not provide posting dates, identify other advertising outlets, or state how many applications the city received. It also did not directly answer the questions about an internal candidate, March or Mater’s next role.

“Mayor Nesta looks forward to making a formal announcement regarding the city’s full-time City Administrator very soon. There is a thoughtful timeline in place, along with plans to ensure we have the right leadership and team in position to continue moving our city forward,” Montiero said. “We understand the importance of keeping our residents informed and appreciate the community’s continued interest and engagement. Our focus remains on building a strong foundation for Apopka’s future, and we look forward to sharing more information with everyone in the coming days.”

Nesta’s description of someone who has already built relationships raises the possibility of an appointment from within city government. But neither Montiero’s response nor the records released confirm that possibility.

Social media speculation has identified Apopka Fire Chief Wil Sanchez as a possible choice for the permanent city administrator position. The Apopka Voice contacted Sanchez to confirm or deny the rumor but received no response before publication. Neither Nesta nor Montiero has identified Sanchez as the candidate, and his lack of a response does not confirm the speculation.

Nesta’s case for Mater

Nesta has been considerably more specific about why he supports the person already working in the administrator’s office. In a statement, he credited Mater with addressing longstanding problems, advancing infrastructure projects, and improving employee morale.

His full statement reads:

"I am ecstatic that Mr. Mater is on board the City of Apopka team. He has provided well needed support for the direction the residents want the City to go. He has jumped right into the deep end with problem-solving issues that have been lingering from the past, pushing infrastructure projects forward that have stalled in recent years, and reigniting employee morale throughout the City.

Our employees are the backbone to our City and without their buy-in and commitment we won’t be able to move the City of Apopka forward.

The search for a permanent City Administrator has been ongoing and I look forward to announcing the permanent City Administrator in the near future.

What I will say, the point of him coming on the team, especially as an interim position, and I made sure of that, is he’s not going to be the permanent city administrator, is because there is already one lined up.

He has been integral in making sure that this city’s been successful over the last six months,” 

An interim assignment with a possible next chapter

Mater has been touted for chief of staff, a new position on the city’s organizational chart. That possibility means a permanent city administrator could change Mater’s responsibilities without ending his role in Nesta’s administration.

The anticipated arrival of a permanent city administrator by March would provide a logical point for such a transition. Neither the chief of staff appointment nor its timing has been confirmed, and Montiero’s response did not explain why March matters. For now, Mater’s assignment puts him in a role previously held by Radley Williams, whose path to the administrator’s office was substantially different.

Two backgrounds, one position

Williams had more than two decades of local government experience before becoming interim administrator in April 2025. He joined Apopka as parks and recreation director in 2022 after more than 17 years in Lake Mary’s Parks and Recreation Department, most recently as assistant director.

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration management and a master’s degree in sports leadership and administration from the University of Central Florida.

Mater’s application and résumé describe a career concentrated in insurance claims and construction management. They list a high school diploma and a Colorado building contractor’s license, but no college degree or previous employment in municipal government.

Williams’ municipal background did not lead to a permanent appointment. The City Council tabled consideration of making him permanent in September 2025, and Nesta later dismissed him and Finance Director Blanche Sherman in a reorganization effective October 1, 2026.

The contrast concerns experience working inside municipal government. Mater’s records describe substantial management responsibilities in business, but they do not show a comparable municipal employment history.

The Apopka Voice asked Mater if he wanted to explain why he was a better fit than the previous interim administrator, given Williams’ experience in city government.

"I honestly don’t," Mater said. "I’m looking to move forward."

What the application says — and leaves to confirm

Mater submitted his application October 28 under his full name, James Brian Mater. His résumé identifies Centennial High School in Pueblo, Colorado, with a graduation year of 1992.

At American Family Insurance, the résumé says Mater managed staff handling complex commercial claims across all 50 states. His responsibilities included policy and contract analysis and coordination with attorneys, contractors, engineers, and other specialists.

The document also lists a management position at All Star Roofing and Gutters Inc. from 2002 to 2019. It describes directing projects for private clients and state and local government entities, supervising more than 250 employees year-round and expanding the workforce to approximately 350 to 375 during peak summer months.

Mater framed the move into city government as a career change.

“After many years in the insurance industry, I felt this was the right time to take on a new challenge and use my experience in leadership, problem-solving, and operations in a different capacity,” he wrote in his application.

His résumé also lists civic service in Pueblo with a homebuilders association, a human relations commission, a water board, and a school board. Those entries describe community and public-sector involvement, although they do not identify a municipal staff leadership position.

The résumé says Mater managed an annual operating/project budget of approximately $56 million at the roofing company.

Mater’s answer: Watch the work

At the November 4 City Commission meeting, Mater acknowledged questions about his appointment and said residents deserved to know who was helping lead their city. He said their trust would have to be earned.

“I don’t expect everyone to support me on day one,” Mater said. “What I ask is the opportunity to do the work and be judged on how I handle my responsibility. Mistakes will happen. I am not perfect.”

He identified supporting employees, listening to residents, completing projects, and preparing for the next administrator as his priorities. He also described employees working in cramped spaces with low ceilings and inadequate airflow, presenting those observations as an example of problems he had already noticed.

“That’s a concern to me,” Mater said. “So when we turn around, and we talk about leadership and experience, that’s experience that should have taken place years ago. We should have understood that there was an issue. I did that on day three.”

Mater did not identify who was responsible for those conditions or establish in those remarks whether they had previously been reported or addressed.

He said he had lived in Apopka for five years and intended to work respectfully with people who disagreed with his appointment. He said his commitment extended to helping the permanent administrator when that person arrived.

“I intend to show through my work, my decisions, and how I treat people, including those who disagree with me on my appointment moving forward, to make Apopka a better place,” Mater said.

Beyond the promised announcement

The city has confirmed a public posting and described a timeline. It has not explained who else applied, whether the prospective administrator is already a city employee, why March is anticipated, or what role Mater would hold afterward.

When Nesta announces the permanent administrator, residents will have another name to consider. A fuller account of the search would give them something equally useful: a way to understand how the city made its choice.

Until then, Apopka’s released hiring records tell the story of the man filling in. The story of the person expected to take over remains an announcement away—and the explanation for that choice is still unwritten.