Atlanta mayor’s cabinet turnover gets into high gear

By Maggie Lee

At least seven top city staff will “transition externally” and their jobs will be filled over the next few months, according to a Friday afternoon statement from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

At an April 10 press conference about 100 days into her administration, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that she had asked for cabinet resignations. Credit: Maggie Lee

“In the weeks ahead, I will finalize new roles under a refreshed organizational chart. This restructuring will enable me to continue the momentum made during the first quarter of the year and effectively implement my strategy for making Atlanta a more affordable, resilient, and equitable city,” Bottoms said in the statement.

As she has transitioned into the job, Bottoms has so far relied mostly on top-level staff hired by previous Mayor Kasim Reed.

But on April 9, about 100 days into her term in office, she requested cabinet resignation letters, and spoke publicly about the process a day later. She said at the time she was deciding whose letters she would accept as she built her own team, but did not put a timeline on the process.

Folks who will depart, as outlined in the statement, are:

• Jeremy Berry, City Attorney

• Catherine Buell, President and CEO, Atlanta Housing Authority

• Faye DiMassimo, Renew Atlanta General Manager

• Amy Phuong, Commissioner Parks and Recreation

• Stephanie Stuckey, Chief Resilience Officer

The statement also announces two folks whose departures have already been reported by the media:

• Anne Torres, Communications Director

• Jim Beard, Chief Financial Officer

Separately,Senior Policy Advisor Melissa Mullinax andChief Service Officer Janquell Peters, will transition to different roles within the city.

The city is already searching to fill the following top jobs:

• Aviation General Manager

• Fire Chief

• Chief Procurement Officer

• Commissioner of Human Resources

• Chief Information Officer

• Chief Education Officer