Who's helping Horhn run Jackson? Mayor's new appointees mix fresh faces with familiar names
Most of the appointments Horhn announced last week must be confirmed by the Jackson City Council. Under state law, each city department is led by a director, who is appointed by the mayor and approved by the council. Interim directors may serve for up to 90 days, after which the council must vote to approve or reject them. The mayor also has the authority to remove department directors.
While new faces are starting to clock in at City Hall, a few department heads from former Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's administration are staying on under Horhn for now. Those include Chief of the Jackson Police Department Joseph Wade, City Attorney Drew Martin, Municipal Clerk Angela Harris, Director of Human Resources Toya Martin and Chief Financial Officer Fidelis Malembeka.
But there is still a major question mark remaining over Jackson's Department of Public Works, which has gone without a permanent director since 2023. Chronic understaffing led Lumumba to contract with Al-Turk Planning for support. In July 2024, the council approved a one-year, $700,000 contract with the firm, which ends in August. Since then, Emad Al-Turk has served as the city's de facto public works director
It's unclear whether the firm will continue in that role once the contract expires. In May, Horhn told the Clarion Ledger he was "confident" he could find a permanent director. The last person tapped for the job, Khalid Woods, resigned twice in 2023 before ever being confirmed by the council.
The director of public works earns $164,000 a year, making it the highest-paid position in city government.
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Here's a look at Horhn's new appointments, their titles and who they're replacing:
Horhn's campaign manager, Willie Bozeman, has landed the job of interim chief of staff, which is essentially the mayor's right-hand-man. Bozeman is a former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
He succeeds Safiya Omari, who served as Chief of Staff under Mayor Lumumba and was known for staunchly defending the former mayor's initiatives — sometimes sparking contentious exchanges with members of the council.
According to the city's 2023 salary list, Omari made just over $103,000 annually.
Horhn also named Jamal Sibley as interim special assistant to the mayor.
Von Anderson, who served as interim spokesman on Horhn's transition team, has been named interim director of Jackson's Department of Planning and Development. Anderson replaces Jhai Keeton, who was confirmed to lead the department in June 2024.
The department oversees zoning, building permits, code enforcement and land use planning to help guide how the city grows and develops.
Among the many projects overseen by the department is 'The Pulse at Farish,' a downtown development announced in January by Keeton and Lumumba. The project, planned for a site across from the Jackson Convention Complex, includes a skate park, pavilion and event space.
But the property is more widely known as the focal point of a federal bribery investigation that led to indictments of Lumumba, former Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens — allegedly for accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as developers who said they wanted to build a convention center hotel.
It's unclear if Anderson and Horhn's new administration are planning on moving forward with the project.
According to a 2023 city employee salary list obtained by the Clarion Ledger through a public records request, the department director earns nearly $89,000 a year.
Pieter Teeuwissen will take over as the city's chief administrative officer, a role previously held by Louis Wright. The CAO serves as the mayor's chief aide, overseeing the city's daily operations.
Teeuwissen is a former Hinds County judge and an attorney for Simon & Teeuwissen. Gov. Tate Reeves appointed Teeuwissen as a county court judge for Hinds County in 2023, according to a release from the Mississippi Supreme Court. Teeuwissen was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Judge LaRita Cooper-Stokes, the late wife of Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes.
Wright also oversaw the city's public works department while it was without a director, but it's unclear whether Teeuwissen will take on the same role.
Jackson's CAO makes roughly $114,000 per year, according to the city's 2023 salary list.
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Veteran firefighter RaSean Thomas has been named interim chief of the Jackson Fire Department, replacing Chief Willie Owens following his retirement.
He's been a vocal advocate for pay raises and better conditions at fire stations, often clashing with leadership. In 2023, he and Owens went head-to-head during the department's push for higher salaries, culminating in a "sick-out" protest led by Thomas where nearly 60 firefighters didn't show up for work.
Jackson's fire chief earns nearly $89,000 a year, according to the city's 2023 salary list.
Grace Fisher is the new Interim Director of Jackson's Department of Communications. She replaces Melissa Payne.
Fisher previously served as communications director for the Mississippi Department of Corrections and was also an editor at the Clarion Ledger. She will be charged with overseeing how the city communicates with the public, the media and internal departments.
According to the city's 2023 salary list, the communications director makes $92,000 annually.
Pearlean Campbell, who worked as the victim services director at MDOC, has been tapped to lead Jackson' s Department of Constituent Services. The department basically serves as the city's customer service team, helping residents navigate and resolve issues with city services.
Chris Gray served as the previous constituent services manager. According to the city's 2023 salary list, he made nearly $61,000 per year.
Horhn named Nathan Slater as interim director of the IT Department. According to Slater's LinkedIn profile, he has held positions with C-Spire and his own consulting company.
Slater replaces former director Muriel Reid. According to the city's 2023 salary list, Reid made just under $89,000 annually as director.
Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: John Horhn shakes up Jackson, MS, City Hall: Who will have top jobs
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