Latest news with #JohnHorhn
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who's joining Horhn's A-team? Jackson mayor-elect expands transition roster, sets early agenda
Just weeks away from his July 1 swearing-in, Mayor-elect John Horhn is continuing to build out the leadership team that will help usher Jackson into a new era, announcing Wednesday a slate of additions to his "mayoral transition team." The latest appointments signal a continued emphasis on community engagement and institutional experience — a mix Horhn says is necessary to tackle Jackson's urgent challenges and restore public trust in city government. Two new co-chairs and eight at-large members have joined the team, which was initially unveiled June 6. The expanded leadership group will play a central role in shaping personnel decisions, evaluating city operations and drafting the incoming administration's policy roadmap. The two co-chairs include Beverly Hogan, a retired president of Tougaloo College, and Carol Palmer, an entrepreneur and longtime arts advocate. For the eight at-large members, Horhn has tapped a mix of state lawmakers, local business leaders and community activists. The members include: Zakiya Summers, Democratic state representative for District 68. Sollie Norwood, Democratic state senator for District 28. Johnnie Patton, former National Democratic Committeewoman. Surinder Singh, entrepreneur. Patricia Reese, entrepreneur. Gabriel Prado, entrepreneur. Warren Herring, healthcare executive and current chairman of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. Brenda Scott, labor advocate. "I am honored to have such accomplished leaders join our transition team," Horhn said in a press release. "Carol Palmer and Dr. Beverly Hogan bring invaluable experience and community credibility to our efforts. Our At-Large members represent diverse perspectives from business, healthcare, labor, and government that will ensure we build a comprehensive foundation for Jackson's future." The additional members will work in coordination with previously announced members of Horhn's transition leadership team, including former Jackson mayor Kane Ditto, attorney Robert Gibbs, Bishop Ronnie Crudup Sr, interim chief of staff Willie Bozeman and interim media spokesman Von Anderson. Horhn's team outlined their top priorities for his administration's first 30 days. Those priorities include identifying personnel changes, assessing departmental budgets, engaging with city department heads, evaluating current infrastructure and public safety and hosting community input sessions. The transition team will also: Review how the city is currently operating and handling its finances Meet with department leaders and key staff Set policy goals and plan the city's next budget Build relationships with partners at the state, federal and regional levels Make sure essential city services continue without interruption "This transition is about more than changing administrations – it's about transforming how city government works for every resident of Jackson," Horhn said. "Our expanded team reflects the collaborative approach we will bring to city leadership." Horhn inherits a city with deep, well-documented struggles — a crumbling water system under federal oversight, strained relations between City Hall and the state and widespread frustration over issues like crime, potholes and blight. The previous administration, led by Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, faced persistent political infighting and public criticism at the end of his second term, culminating in Horhn's defeat of Lumumba in the April 22 Democratic runoff. That said, Horhn's transition team also aims to address: Water and sewer infrastructure modernization. Street repair, replacement and maintenance. Public safety and crime reduction. Economic development and job creation. Fiscal management and budget stabilization County, state and federal partnership. The transition period — typically 30 to 60 days — allows a mayor-elect and their team to evaluate city departments, finalize appointments and begin shaping policy. Horhn's team said the work done during the transition will directly inform his administration's "action plan and longer-term strategic initiatives." "Jackson's best days are ahead of us," Horhn said. 'This transition team represents the depth of talent and commitment that will drive our city forward.' Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: More join Jackson MS Mayor-elect John Horhn transition team
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who's helping Horhn run Jackson? Mayor's new appointees mix fresh faces with familiar names
Jackson Mayor John Horhn unveiled his first wave of administrative appointments, naming several new department directors and keeping key figures from the previous administration on board. 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. Parchman: Inside a Mississippi execution: Clarion Ledger reporter recounts what it was like 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. Mayoral elections: How NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is tied to Mississippi 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@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: John Horhn shakes up Jackson, MS, City Hall: Who will have top jobs
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson Mayor-elect John Horhn names additional transition team members
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Mayor-elect John Horhn announced new members to his mayoral transition team. According to Horhn, Carol Palmer and Dr. Beverly Hogan were named as additional co-chairs of the transition team. He also announced the selection of eight At-Large Transition Team Members: Zakiya Summers – Mississippi State Representative, District 68 Sollie Norwood – Mississippi State Senator, District 28 Johnnie Patton – Former National Democratic Committeewoman Surinder Singh – Entrepreneur Patricia Reese – Entrepreneur Gabriel Prado – Entrepreneur Warren Herring – Healthcare Entrepreneur Brenda Scott – Labor Advocate Jackson Mayor-elect John Horhn names transition leadership team Horhn said the expanded team will focus on several areas during the transition period, including personnel reviews, key appointments, budget analysis, infrastructure and public safety evaluations and community input sessions. They also plan to address water and sewer infrastructure modernization, street repairs, public safety, job creation and county, state and federal partnership development. 'This transition is about more than changing administrations – it's about transforming how citygovernment works for every resident of Jackson. Our expanded team reflects the collaborativeapproach we will bring to city leadership,' said Horhn. The transition will begin with Horhn's inauguration on July 1, 2025. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monday's Campaign Round-up, 6.9.25: Democrats prevail in San Antonio mayoral race
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country. * Republicans made a significant effort to win San Antonio's mayoral election, but in Texas' second-largest city, Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, an Iraq war veteran who served as the under secretary of the U.S. Air Force, prevailed with roughly 54% of the vote. * On a related note, in Mississippi's largest city, former Democratic state Sen. John Horhn easily won Jackson's mayoral race last week, finishing with roughly 67% of the vote. * How difficult have things become inside the Democratic National Committee's leadership team? According to a new Politico report, DNC Chair Ken Martin told party leaders in a recent private conversation that he's unsure about his ability to lead the party because of infighting created by Vice Chair David Hogg. 'I'll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job ... the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,' he said in a May 15 online meeting of DNC officials. * With New Jersey's gubernatorial primaries just one day away, Donald Trump reiterated his endorsement of former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli, adding, in reference to the other Republican candidates, 'I don't even know who they are!' * Prominent players in the cryptocurrency industry were heavily involved in boosting some GOP Senate candidates in the 2024 election cycle, and Punchbowl News reported that crypto advocates are already starting to make significant investments into former Rep. Mike Rogers' Republican candidacy in Michigan. * Unrig Our Economy and Families Over Billionaires are launching a $5 million ad campaign, urging Republican senators to oppose their party's domestic policy megabill. The initial round of ads began airing late last week in North Carolina, Maine and Iowa, with plans to expand to Alaska, South Carolina, Missouri and Ohio. * In related news, House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNBC late last week that he believes Republicans will lose their majority unless they approve their far-right reconciliation package. What he didn't mention was the likelihood that if the party does approve the legislation, Democrats will spend the next year using it against them. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State lawmakers support John Horhn as next Jackson mayor
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – State lawmakers are backing Mayor-elect John Horhn to lead the City of Jackson. House leadership expressed interest in working with a new mayor before Horhn was elected. Horhn served more than 30 years in the State Senate, which has given him the opportunity to build relationships with lawmakers. The mayor-elect said he will use his connections to hopefully bring improvements to the City of Jackson. Mayor-elect John Horhn discusses plans for capital city 'I believe there will be a strong renew partnership between the City of Jackson leadership and state leaders. I believe that many of the partnerships that we have seen, that seem to have eroded over the last few years. I think that all of those relationships will be rebuilt and maintained under the leadership of Mayor Horhn,' said Senate Minority Leader Derrick T. Simmons (D-District 12). 'We're excited about new leadership for the City of Jackson and what that may afford, a relationship with the state that is more positive and better for all Mississippians,' House Speaker Jason White (R-Miss.). Simmons attributed Horhn's experience working in the legislature and solving problems for cities and towns will make him a great mayor. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
