City manager discusses retirement

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

City manager John Glascock said the pandemic reminded him of the time he has left with his family.

"You know, I lost my father when I was 13," Glascock said. "He was 45. So the pandemic brings life its curveballs. You start thinking you've got a finite number of years. I'm in my 60s and I owe my wife a debt of gratitude because she's let me do this job and she sacrificed for that. So I need to pay that back."

Glascock sat down with ABC 17 News to talk about why he decided to retire on Jan. 14, 2022. The Columbia City Council hired Glascock as city manager in 2019 following Mike Matthes' departure the year prior. Glascock served as interim city manager in between, coming up from deputy city manager and Public Works director prior to that.

Glascock said he immediately tried to build relationships between the city government and other public and private groups in town. Those relationships, he said, helped the city handle the COVID-19 pandemic. He also spoke about why he left the job just three years into it and work done with the police department.

Watch on extended version of our interview below.