Women in Leadership: Mary Bunting

Mary Bunting is doing what she loves in a place she loves. For the city she calls home it's significant.

She became Hampton city manager in 2009 and is the first woman to hold the position since the city established the job in the1950s.

"I love doing the work. It's even more special when you can help to make the community that raised you even stronger and better for the next generation," she said, noting it's rare for those in her position to serve in their hometown.

While some may consider her a trailblazer, Bunting sees it differently.

"I realized it was empowering for a lot of people and I'm glad I can do that," she acknowledged. "For me it was just about fulfilling my career goals and being able to give back to my city. I could have been a city manager somewhere else, but it would not have been as fulfilling."

Her upbringing was such that being a woman was not viewed as a limitation.

"I was raised by a single mother who raised me to not ever perceive that there were obstacles. She was a trailblazer herself in many ways," noted Bunting, whose mother has a decades-long career in city government holding leadership posts in Hampton, Norfolk and Roanoke, among others.

Though deeply connected to home, Bunting left Virgina for a span to attend Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University thanks to scholarships from local civic organizations. She furthered her studies at Syracuse University in New York, where she earned a master's degree.

A training program for graduate students in Phoenix, Ariz. prepped Bunting for city government. A Hampton High School graduate, she returned home in the late 1980s when a position opened with the city.

Today, at slightly over 30 years with the City of Hampton, Bunting has served in various capacities from interim public works director to interim human resources director. She also led diverse projects that expanded her knowledge and skills. Each opportunity, including service as assistant city manager, primed her for leadership, and she credits a series of highly supportive supervisors.

"Usually, you're not going to have that many incredible bosses in a row who are going to recognize your potential and not only use your talents in an organization but consider your personal growth. I've just been very blessed," she said.

"They all made a commitment to me to make sure I never got stale. They all engaged me in meaningful ways," she added. "I felt like I was doing all the right things. I'm helping the community I deeply care about and I'm growing professionally."

Asked what a city manager does, Bunting explained the role is equivalent to chief executive officer. All Virginia cities except Richmond have the council management form of government and the city council hires a city manager to run the day-to-day operations.

"Basically, it's looking at our efficiency, looking at our effectiveness, looking at whether we are meeting the needs of the community," she said.

She examines things such as trash pick-up service, wastewater flow, police and fire services response, and effectiveness of libraries and community centers.

"The other aspect of it is you never want to grow stale as a community. So, in addition to running the city departments, the city manager helps implement the strategic vision of the council and the community," she noted, saying this involves exploring and facilitating changes that improve community conditions.

In that vein, Bunting has numerous stellar professional achievements in service to her beloved hometown. Top among those is creation of the award-winning 3-1-1 Customer Call Center in Hampton. It allows residents to dial one number (3-1-1) for non- emergencies to connect with any city department as opposed to searching through over 50 phone numbers.

"That was a personal project of mine, and I had a lot of people on a team that made it happened. That was a vision I had that we could make interacting with government easier. I saw that Dallas had done it and I wanted us to be the first Virginia locality to do it and we were," she said.

During her tenure, Hampton has earned All-America City recognition three times and garnered multiple national accolades including a finalist's spot for Harvard University's Innovation in Government Award. Also because of its innovative programs under Bunting, Hampton is gaining recognition as a national leader in the coastal resiliency movement. In another point of pride, Bunting was named a White House Local Innovation Champion of Change in 2012.

Bunting's public service is not limited to the city. She also represents Hampton on the Local College Board for Thomas Nelson (becoming Virginia Peninsula Community College). Appointed in 2019 when the previous representative left Virginia for another opportunity, she was excited about the role at the school.

"I was passionate about coming and supporting community college because my job as city manager gives me a lot of insight into the many different important roles the college plays," she said, noting that her children, Parker, Carter, and Hannah, took advantage of the dual enrollment program at Thomas Nelson.

The dual enrollment program is especially significant for Bunting given her role as co-chair of the Academies of Hampton with School Superintendent Jeffery Smith.

"That program is very important on two different levels," she said. "It allows our advanced learners the opportunity to do community college while they are in high school and get some of those credits under their belts and saves them money. More important than that, it provides a safe environment for students who might not think college is for them to try it out in the safe environment of a high school with their teachers who they know in a supportive community that we can provide in a high school setting."

Bunting said knowing all the things community college can offer amplified her excitement about serving on the board.

"I wanted to make sure I did whatever I could, working with my fellow board members and the president, to make sure that we give the tools necessary to the staff and provide experiences for the students that allow the College to continue to enhance each of those (academic and workforce development) pathways."

See the full Women in History series.