City leaders of Lake Worth, Florida have selected a transgender woman to helm the city's government, reports the Palm Beach Post.

Susan Ashley Stanton, 50, was selected from a field of four finalists on Tuesday by a five member panel. Commissioners voted 4 to 1 in favor of Stanton.

Stanton, formerly known as Steve Stanton, made headlines in February 2007 when she was fired from her 16.5-year tenure as Largo, Florida city manager after her sex change plans became public.

“I thought she has the right temperament for our city and, truthfully, I learned a lot from her,” Lake Worth Vice Mayor Jo-Ann Golden told the paper.

Lake Worth is located in Palm Beach County and has a population of 37,000, according to 2006 census figures. The city adopted a transgender protections law last year.