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City leaders including Mayor John Whitmire, Police Chief Troy Finner and Fire Chief Samuel Pena gathered on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Houston.
Karen Warren/Staff photographer
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has begun carrying out a series of leadership changes across city departments in a step toward delivering his campaign pledge to shake up key municipal operations.
Part of Whitmire’s campaign last year focused on criticizing what he viewed as ineffective top-level leadership during former Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration. He promised on several occasions to appoint new officials to oversee critical operations such as the city’s housing programs and permitting center.
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Within the first month of his term, Whitmire has appointed new heads for the Finance Department, Department of Planning and Development and the Department of Neighborhoods. The ongoing personnel revamp has led to the departure of several long-standing senior officials, some sparking public outcry.
Whitmire’s election marked the first time in eight years that the city’s top office changed hands. Here are the major personnel announcements made by the mayor or departing city officials.
Fire chief Samuel Peña retires in latest leadership transition
Whitmire announced in July the replacement of Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña by Thomas Muñoz, who previously led the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Public Safety and Homeland Security office.
Peña retired after eight years on the job. During his time as fire chief, he helped the department navigate numerous disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, Hurricane Beryl.
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FIRE CHIEF RETIRES: Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña is out, will be replaced by Thomas Muñoz, Mayor Whitmire says
His tenure, however, was marked by a fraught relationship with the firefighters union, one of Whitmire’s staunchest supporters during the mayoral election. More than 3,000 firefighters signed a resolution in 2019 to reject his leadership. Peña called the resolution unfair and stood by the department’s progress.
Peña’s position became more uncertain after Whitmire assumed office as he was left out of key meetings where union and city leaders negotiated what would become a historic billion-dollar settlement. Peña previously said “It’s going to be God’s will” when asked about his job prospects under the new administration.
“Sam has served the city admirably through many challenging situations… and I appreciate his public service and dedication to the health and safety of Houstonians,” Whitmire said in a news release announcing the former fire chief’s departure.
Police Chief departs amid dropped cases controversy
Amid the controversy surrounding the Houston Police Department’s practice of suspending cases due to staffing shortages, Whitmire announced in May the sudden resignation of Police Chief Troy Finner, who had been with the department for 34 years. The mayor said a recently resurfaced 2018 email, which discussed one such dropped case and included Finner, was the “final straw” that led to the former chief’s departure.
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INVESTIGATION: Who’s to blame for HPD’s dropped cases scandal? It extends far beyond Houston’s ousted police chief
“Part of the consideration is that the current investigation and suspended cases had become such a distraction that I was convinced that the department had lost some of its focus to address hot spots and response time,” Whitmire said. “This is not about personality. He’s a human being. He has feelings. He has a family. Everything was taken into consideration.”
Finner previously said he first learned about the practice of dropping cases due to short staffing in 2021, at an executive meeting one day before Astroworld. Following the recent revelation of the 2018 email, Finner said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he did not remember the email when he gave the initial timeline.
Whitmire initially appointed Larry Satterwhite, formerly the executive assistant chief, as acting police chief. The mayor later announced he had chosen J. Noe Diaz, former leader of the much smaller Katy Police Department, as Finner’s permanent replacement.
NEW POLICE CHIEF: Katy police chief Noe Diaz will be the Houston Police Department’s new chief, Whitmire says
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When asked how he would adjust to moving to a department with almost 6,000 employees, Diaz touted his extensive law enforcement knowledge in areas from corruption investigations to patrol operations.
“During my time there, Katy became the most modern police department for a city of its size,” Diaz recently said. “Those are improvements I want to bring here.”
More public safety leadership reshuffles
Besides the high-profile ousting of Houston’s police and fire chiefs, Whitmire carried out several other leadership changes in the city’s public safety operations in July and August.
Satterwhite, who temporarily took over as police chief before Diaz’s arrival, was reassigned as the next director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Satterwhite had over three decades of work experience at the Houston Police Department. Among other roles, he served as assistant chief over homeland security issues.
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NEW ASSIGNMENT: Mayor John Whitmire hires Larry Satterwhite as next Public Safety and Homeland Security lead
Brian Mason, the executive director of Houston TranStar, was hired as head of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management. During Hurricane Beryl, Mason made the news for his pleas to CenterPoint to get the city’s wastewater treatment facilities back online. His calls for help were not listened to, and 150,000 gallons of untreated water were released into Brays Bayou.
Robert Mock resigned as director of Houston Emergency Center, with Roderick Jackson, a longtime public safety communications professional, stepping in to fill the role. The center collaborates with the police and fire departments to provide emergency 9-1-1 services.
Police Chief departs amid dropped cases controversy
Amid the controversy surrounding the Houston Police Department’s practice of suspending cases due to staffing shortages, Whitmire announced in May the sudden resignation of Police Chief Troy Finner, who had been with the department for 34 years. The mayor said a recently resurfaced 2018 email, which discussed one such dropped case and included Finner, was the “final straw” that led to the former chief’s departure.
INVESTIGATION: Who’s to blame for HPD’s dropped cases scandal? It extends far beyond Houston’s ousted police chief
“Part of the consideration is that the current investigation and suspended cases had become such a distraction that I was convinced that the department had lost some of its focus to address hot spots and response time,” Whitmire said. “This is not about personality. He’s a human being. He has feelings. He has a family. Everything was taken into consideration.”
Finner previously said he first learned about the practice of dropping cases due to short staffing in 2021, at an executive meeting one day before Astroworld. Following the recent revelation of the 2018 email, Finner said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he did not remember the email when he gave the initial timeline.
Whitmire appointed Larry Satterwhite, formerly the executive assistant chief, as acting police chief while he begins the search for Finner’s permanent replacement. The mayor said he does not yet have a timeline for finding Finner’s successor.
Public Works Director Carol Haddock retires
Carol Haddock, the first woman in Houston’s history to lead the Public Works Department, announced in late April that she has left her role after nearly two decades.
“During my tenure as Director, we have weathered climate and media-related storms of all kinds,” Haddock said in a farewell email to Public Works employees. “Those storms and challenges were relentless, yet we were steadfast in our commitments to our fellow residents.”
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The mayor said his administration has begun a search for a permanent replacement. Until then, longtime managing engineer Richard Smith will serve as the department’s interim director while continuing his current role as the interim city engineer. He will be in charge of all engineering-related decisions at Public Works, Whitmire told City Council in a memo.
Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer Randy Macchi will supervise all of the department’s non-engineering-related affairs. He joined the city last year, according to LinkedIn profile. He previously worked as an attorney for several law firms and the chief operating officer for U.S. LawShield, a legal services organization catering to clients making self-defense cases. He also owns a life and leadership coaching business.
Public Works is one of the city’s largest and most externally-facing departments and has often received complaints when its services fall short of residents’ expectations. Haddock said her team has focused on addressing issues with water bills, water leaks and the permitting process in recent years.
“Though these overhauls have yet to be fully realized, I am proud to have overseen the genesis and implementation of these activities, most of which will be near completion by the end of this year,” she said in the email.
New Houston Public Library director
Whitmire has replaced Houston Public Library Director Rhea Lawson, who has led the library system for almost two decades, with Cynthia Wilson, the mayor’s senior adviser for organizational culture and education.
NEW LIBRARY DIRECTOR: Mayor John Whitmire appoints new Houston Public Library director
Wilson worked as an educational consultant at CSW Solutions, a Chicago-based software company, before joining the Whitmire administration earlier this year. She is also a former administrator for the Houston and Dallas Independent School Districts.
The library system sparked controversy this week after announcing its Montrose branch would permanently close due to “ongoing safety and facility issues that cannot be resolved in a timely manner.” Critics also recently slammed the system for what they considered long-time neglect of its archives of local Latino history.
The mayor said he expects the leadership change to improve Houston Public Library’s culture and processes. Wilson will continue her role at the mayor’s office while serving as interim director of the library system, according to Whitmire.
“I am grateful Cynthia agreed to serve in this interim role, and I have asked her to immediately go to work on improving communications, management, employee morale, and operations throughout HPL,” the mayor said.
New Office of Business Opportunity director
Marsha Murray, director of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity, announced in early March that she was stepping down from her role. She has since been replaced by Cylenthia Hoyrd, who had been the office’s assistant director and now serves as its interim director.
The Office of Business Opportunity works to improve access to city contracts for small businesses and those run by women, racial minorities and people with disabilities. The office monitors city projects to make sure they allocate a portion of the work to certified minority vendors as required by law. It also tracks project managers’ compliance with labor rules such as fair wages.
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Hoyrd joined the business opportunity office last year. She previously worked as a grants writer in the Harris Health System and a manager at Houston Public Library.
Members of Houston’s City Council have long complained about the lack of enforcement when prime contractors fail to make good faith efforts to meet their pre-agreed upon goals to onboard minority subcontractors. Whitmire recently promised to bring together council members and officials from the Office of Business Opportunity and Legal Department to reform the process.
“I have confidence in (Hoyrd’s) ability to lead the department and look forward to collaborating with her on enhancing small business participation in city contracts,” the mayor said in a memo to council members.
Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell replaced chief development officer Andy Icken
Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell has been named Houston’s new chief economic development officer after Andy Icken resigned in early March.
A key position at the mayor’s office, the chief development officer is in charge of promoting economic growth and bringing businesses and investors to Houston. The officer manages a number of economic development tools and tax incentive initiatives, including Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones, which have long sparked controversy for trapping city revenue in affluent neighborhoods.
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Icken served as Houston’s chief development officer under both former Mayors Annise Parker and Sylvester Turner. During the Parker administration, Icken led efforts to expand the reinvestment zone program and create more than two dozen tax reimbursement deals that led to construction of more downtown residential towers and mixed-use projects.
Tillotson-Bell first joined the city about 17 years ago. As the deputy director of the economic development office, she worked on projects including the development of the Energy Corridor business district, the introduction of Meow Wolf immersive art installations and the creation of the East End Maker Hub, among others.
As the city is set to significant budget shortfalls, Whitmire recently proposed taking a closer look at the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones program and its fiscal implications. The mayor also said his administration will “re-envision” the economic development office’s functions and priorities.
Tillotson-Bell’s “experience and knowledge will guide the City of Houston through its next phase of developing and implementing policies to strengthen our competitiveness in attracting investments across key industry sectors, thereby fueling Houston’s global economy,” Whitmire said.
Former nonprofit leader appointed to lead Houston housing department
Whitmire announced in late February the appointment of Mike Nichols, a former nonprofit leader, as the new head of Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department. Outgoing director Keith Bynam, initially appointed by Turner, stepped down from his role.
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The change followed a recent news report showing Bynam allegedly breaking city rules by selling computer equipment directly to employees. Bynam acknowledged the mistake and said he took steps to rectify it. Whitmire promised to hold department officials accountable at the time.
Nichols recently retired as the chief executive officer of the Coalition for the Homeless, a Houston-based nonprofit that coordinates strategy and federal funding for dozens of local groups in the housing space. He previously worked as the interim CEO of the Houston Parks Board and served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981.
Whitmire overhauled Houston Housing Authority
The Houston Housing Authority operates independently from the city of Houston, but commissioners serving on its board are appointed by the mayor. In a highly unusual move, Whitmire retained only two of the current commissioners, appointing five new individuals to the seven-member board.
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By law, the board must include two “resident commissioners,” or recipients of the housing authority’s services. Stephanie Ballard and Kristy Kirkendoll, the current resident commissioners, will remain on the board. The other four members — Kris Thomas, Andrea Cooksey, Max Miller and Chair LaRence Snowden — were replaced. One position was previously vacant.
The five new appointees were Darryl Wilson, Kenneth Li, Cynthia Aceves-Lewis, Joseph “Jody” Proler and Alton Smith. Wilson, the owner of a consulting and investment firm called The Wilson Collective, resigned after less than two months because he did not have time to serve on the board, according to the mayor’s office. He was replaced by Eric Carter, founding principal of The Carter Law Firm.
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The mayor carried out the board overhaul after repeatedly criticizing the authority’s leadership. Most recently, the agency paused the issuance of all “Section 8” Housing Choice vouchers after reaching full budget utilization.
Whitmire accused the authority’s leaders of failing to provide efficient leadership and mismanaging the agency’s finances. Snowden refuted the mayor’s claims, saying “any insinuation of financial mismanagement by the City are unfounded.”
David Northern remains the housing authority’s president and chief executive officer.
New Houston airports director
Whitmire’s latest staffing change targeted the Houston Airport System, which covers George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport, a military-use airport. Combined, these facilities serve tens of millions of passengers annually.
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Mario Diaz, who has overseen the system since 2010, submitted his resignation to the new mayor this week. His replacement is Jim Szczesniak, who has worked as the Houston Airports’ chief operating officer for the past two years and spearheaded the execution of the system’s multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program. Szczesniak was previously the director of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, a major cargo hub in Alaska.
Szczesniak is set to oversees all aspects of the airports’ operations. Besides daily management, the director is also responsible for leading massive renovation projects and monitoring lucrative airport concession agreements. The airport director is also one of the highest-paid city employees in Houston. Diaz received a total compensation of $292,447 in 2023, the fifth highest in the city.
Bush and Hobby airports currently have a four-star and five-star rating, respectively, from international air transport rating agency Skytrax. But Whitmire said during a recent Zoom event hosted by the Chronicle that their services still needed major improvements and that he would bring in new leadership to make the facilities “much more efficient and user friendly.”
New finance director
One of Whitmire’s first moves as mayor was to appoint City Hall veteran Melissa Dubowski as chief of the Finance Department.
Dubowski has been working for the department since 2014 and took on the role of deputy finance director in 2019. During her time as deputy director, she managed the treasury and capital management division, overseeing the city’s $11.5 billion five-year capital plan.
NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR: Mayor John Whitmire hires Melissa Dubowski as interim finance director
Meanwhile, former finance director Will Jones took on a new role as deputy controller of financial reporting under Controller Chris Hollins.
The Finance Department assumes the crucial function of maintaining the city’s financial health. In the past, its director has also functioned as a senior mayoral aide and played a key role in formulating Houston’s annual budgets.
The department is set to face especially steep challenges in the coming years as the city is projected to contend with budget shortfalls of $114 million to $264 million during Whitmire’s first term.
Longtime planning director replaced
Margaret Wallace Brown, appointed by Turner to lead the planning department in 2019, retired in late January after nearly four decades of work at the city. She was replaced by her deputy Jennifer Ostlind.
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Ostlind joined the department in the 1990s. She was promoted to assistant director in 2018 and deputy director in 2022.
The planning department oversees the city’s land development, sidewalk construction, historic preservation and transportation planning, among other efforts.
In recent years, planning officials have spearheaded controversial initiatives related to driveway restrictions, new development rules and conservation districts, all of which sparked heightened interest and debate among Houston communities.
Outgoing neighborhoods department head runs for judge
Whitmire has promoted Herbert Sims, an assistant director at the neighborhoods department, to replace the outgoing head, TaKasha Francis. Francis was appointed by Turner in 2016. She has resigned and is currently running for county judge of the 152nd Civil District Court.
Sims has served in various roles within the city for two decades. He specialized in managing the department’s budget and finance in his most recent position as assistant director.
The neighborhoods department works with local organizations to beautify streets and organize community events, while providing services to youth, new immigrants and other groups. It also has an inspection team tasked with identifying code violations and addressing nuisance complaints in neighborhoods.
Jay Zeidman appointed chair of convention agency
One of the first key leadership changes by the new mayor, though not at the department head level, was the appointment of Jay Zeidman — a venture capital executive who supported Whitmire’s mayoral bid — as board chairman of Houston First Corporation.
Houston First is a local government corporation responsible for managing the George R. Brown campus and numerous city-owned convention facilities, buildings, venues and parks. It also serves as Houston’s destination promoter, tasked with attracting tourists, meetings and special events to the city.
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Zeidman, a member of Houston First’s board since 2017 and the managing partner at Altitude Ventures, is known for his contributions to conservative political causes. He has donated to, for instance, the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
He and his family threw their support behind Whitmire’s mayoral bid last year. His parents, Fred and Kay Zeidman, each contributed the maximum amount of $5,000 in December 2022. He and his wife, Anat Zeidman, each donated $5,000 in September 2023.
Michael Heckman remains Houston First’s president and chief executive officer.
Three new Metro board members
Whitmire, who said he would hold Metropolitan Transit Authority to contributing more to street and sidewalk upkeep, replaced three board members and kept a current one, in an April 10 shakeup of the agency’s leadership.
Christopher McMillan, Kathy Han and T. Leon Preston joined Metro’s board of directors, after City Council approval and a swearing in ceremony. Council members also approved Whitmire’s reappointment of Teresa Morales, the sole holdover from board members named by former mayor Sylvester Turner.
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The appointments maintain a disability advocate on the board – McMillan – and give the transit board its first Vietnamese member. Han, a municipal court judge, also adds a lawyer back to the board, which is often made up of local people with backgrounds in business, engineering and law.
The trio replace current city appointees Lex Frieden, Troi Taylor and Diann Lewter, and are the fourth, fifth and sixth new members since mid-February. Whitmire appointed CenterPoint Energy executive Elizabeth Brock as Metro chairwoman on Feb. 13, and she was sworn in Feb. 29, along with Harris County appointee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, who replaced Houston Controller Chris Hollins. Four weeks later, representatives from the 14 smaller cities that with Houston and the county form Metro appointed former county judge candidate Alexandra Moral Mealer to the board.
The nine-member board is tilted toward city control, with Houston’s mayor appointing four members and the chairperson. Harris County appoints two members and the smaller cities jointly appoint two members.
Transportation planner exits amid uncertainty
As work to remove a new median along Houston Avenue advanced, city chief transportation planner David Fields resigned, effective Feb. 5. In a social media post, he said he was pleased with the city’s progress during his four years.
“Houstonians recognize they deserve transportation that works no matter how they travel: walking, rolling, riding transit, or driving,” he said.
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Projects steered by Fields, while cheered by safety advocates and some neighborhood groups, were controversial with some residents who complained of potential worsening traffic and inconvenience.
Because of what Whitmire called a “bad design,” crews on the same day Fields resigned removed a recently installed median along Houston Avenue south of Washington that led to complaints from nearby residents and businesses, notably Trinity Lutheran Church. Road safety advocates, pedestrians and bicyclists, meanwhile, called the median a needed buffer between them and speeding cars, developed after 14 months of community meetings and design efforts by Fields and others.
The removal of the median, Fields’ departure and Whitmire’s willingness to reconsider projects that took months of planning have left advocates worried about the future.
“I can say to me concern is an understatement,” said Mehdi Rais, a Montrose area resident who recently helped form Walk Roll Houston, a group aimed at promoting pedestrian safety.
Veronica Davis departure met with dismay
Veronica Davis, a senior leader at the Houston Public Works Department, announced her resignation in late January. As the head of transportation and drainage operations, she made a name for herself by revamping city streets to improve safety.
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Observers both inside and outside City Hall expressed regret over Davis’s departure. Council Member Tiffany Thomas described the resignation as a “big loss” for the city. Kevin Strickland, president of the Greater Heights Super Neighborhood Council, said Davis’ departure “sets us back decades.”
The resignation also raised questions about the future of the city’s efforts to expand bike lanes and sidewalks in some neighborhoods, projects that Whitmire criticized during his mayoral campaign.
Public Works spokeswoman Katelynn Burns said Davis “was not asked to resign,” and Whitmire has given no indication otherwise.
Dug Begley contributed to this story.
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