Charlie Mopps promoted to Longboat Key Public Works Director

The town of Longboat Key has a new face of public works. 

Charlie Mopps was recently promoted to public works director after former director Isaac Brownman was promoted to the assistant town manager role. 

“I’m most excited that I get to continue to work for the town but at a higher level,” Mopps said. 

When Brownman accepted the assistant town manager role in late 2024, Mopps became the interim director of public works and later applied for the job. 

Town Manager Howard Tipton announced Mopps’ promotion to department heads and town commissioners via email on Jan. 17. 

“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Charlie Mopps, after competing against external candidates, has been selected as the next public works director for the town of Longboat Key,” Tipton said in his email. “He has brought a strong work ethic and positive attitude every day, working very well with the public as a key team member with all our internal operations teams (including storm response), a respected liaison with all our coordination and permitting agencies, as well as accomplishing major projects, initiatives and leadership goals.”

Now, as the new director, Mopps is looking forward to continuing the strong working relationship he had with Brownman, but at a new level. This time, Mopps will oversee the public works department and Brownman will oversee multiple town departments and projects on a broader scale.

Mopps said he has always valued the level of camaraderie shared with Brownman and he hopes to continue that in their new roles. 

From 1993 to 2016, Mopps was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and holds a bachelor’s degree in marine affairs and military science from the University of Rhode Island. 

Mopps has worked for the town for six years collectively. He first joined the town’s public works staff in 2019 as the department’s project manager.

Before that, he had worked as a project manager in Charlotte County from 2001-2016 and a project manager at a private engineering firm called Atkins from 2016-2017. 

In early 2022, Mopps left the town to become the public works director for the city of Venice but, after seven months, returned to the Longboat Key Public Works Department to assume the project manager role and also become the assistant director. 

During his six years with the town, Mopps has become familiar with the departments, systems, staff and the community. This gives him a high comfort level, he said, and he’ll look forward to utilizing that comfort in a higher position. 

“Putting me in this position allows me to continue my career path,” Mopps said. “I feel at home on Longboat Key.”