Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is shaking things up at City Hall, announcing a slew of interim appointments to his administration as he pushes on with his "Moving Atlanta Forward" agenda. Taking the helm as Interim Chief Operating Officer is LaChandra Butler Burks, moving up from her Deputy COO position to replace Lisa Y. Benjamin, who is departing on May 24 after around two years in the top operational role.
As part of the reshuffle, Jan Lennon is set to take control of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as Interim General Manager beginning July 1, stepping in after Balram 'B' Bheodari's tenure wraps up at the end of June. Meanwhile, Al Wiggins Jr. makes the jump from Commissioner of the Department of Public Works to helm the Department of Watershed Management with immediate effect, according to a statement from the City of Atlanta.
The city also tapped Kentorri Garmon as Interim Commissioner of the Department of Public Works, and Peter Aman will be taking on the role of Chief Strategy Officer, a newly minted position, starting May 15. Aman brings a wealth of private consulting experience to the table, having formerly been a partner at Bain & Company and EY-Parthenon.
In their announcement, the City of Atlanta detailed substantial accomplishments under the outgoing leaders. "Lisa Y. Benjamin helped him build his Cabinet and hire for key positions that enabled significant operational improvements across city departments," and she takes particular pride in "significantly reducing crime and restoring faith in city government." For her part, Lennon, preparing to step into the airport's Interim General Manager position, has over 25 years of seasoned experience in the field of airport security management under her belt.
Dickens has emphasized the urgency of pressing forward with major infrastructure and public safety initiatives. He lauded the past efforts of his team, signalling gratitude for Benjamin's dedication and Bheodari's leadership at Hartsfield-Jackson, an airport that weathered upheavals like 9/11, the 2008 financial crash, and the pandemonium of the COVID-19 pandemic.
