Houston's City Council has officially rubber-stamped Mayor John Whitmire's pick for the new Director of the Department of Neighborhoods (DON), appointing seasoned city veteran Herbert Sims to the post, officials said Wednesday. Sims had been the interim director since February before the Council confirmed his position.

Boasting a more than 20-year tenure with the city, Sims has consistently climbed the ladder, recently holding the position of assistant director, where he was tasked to always make sure the department's budget and procurement stuck strictly to the script. The DON oversees a range of crucial city services spread among five divisions, with a focus on resolving neighborhood qualms and enhancing the day-to-day lives of Houstonians.

"Mr. Sims illustrates the value of our municipal employees. He came up through the ranks and has demonstrated his ability to get things done to help improve the quality of our neighborhoods. He is one of the first persons my office calls to address an issue in one of our neighborhoods. He has a can-do attitude and is the right person at the right time for this job. I am confident he will continue to bring his depth of experience and passion for public service to the Department of Neighborhoods," Mayor Whitmire told reporters.

"I'm excited to use my experience in public service to lead the department by focusing on addressing problems and working with neighbors,"Sims said, underscoring his commitment to the city's diverse communities. He's taking command of the department with immediate effect, ready to promptly start to push forward neighborhood initiatives.

A native Texan, Sims comes equipped with a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston, qualifications that helped pave his way to this new leadership role.