Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced on Tuesday updates to his staff one day after being sworn into office during a private ceremony.
Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace, who ran O’Connell’s campaign as campaign manager, will serve as his chief of staff. Alex Apple, who served as O’Connell’s communications director during the campaign, was also hired to serve as deputy communications director and press secretary in the mayor’s office.
Former At-Large Metro Council Member Bob Mendes – one of the first endorsements of O’Connell’s campaign – will now serve as chief development officer in the mayor’s office. Mendes (pictured above, right) is also an attorney and Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, PLC member.
Another new addition to O’Connell’s administration is Katy Varney, who was hired as the interim director of communications. Varney (pictured above, middle), according to O’Connell’s office, was a partner at MP&F Strategic Communications and also worked with former governor Ned McWherter and served as an advisor to Megan Barry’s mayoral campaign.
Individuals who will continue their current jobs from the Cooper administration include Metro Legal’s Director Wallace (Wally) Dietz (pictured above, left) and Chief of Operations and Performance Kristin Wilson. According to O’Connell’s office notes, Kathy Floyd-Buggs and Bonita Dobbins will also keep their positions.
“The hiring and interviewing of staff continues, and Mayor O’Connell will be announcing more of the team in the coming weeks and months,” O’Connell’s office added to Tuesday’s staff announcement.
In addition to this week’s staff additions, O’Connell appointed Alex Jahangir, Christy Pruitt-Haynes, and David Esquivel the day after the runoff election earlier this month to lead “three committees that touch every element of Metro government.”
O’Connell is scheduled to address his three transition committees on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Bellevue Public Library (720 Baugh Road).
The committees, according to O’Connell’s office, will “study How Nashville Moves, How Nashville Grows, and How Nashville Works” and “support O’Connell’s efforts to hit the ground running as mayor.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Bob Mendes” by mendesfornashville.com. Photo “Wallace Dietz” by Wallace Dietz. Photo “Katy Varney” by Katy Varney. Background Photo “Nashville City Hall” by Luckiewiki. CC BY-SA 4.0.
