St. Louis' City Hall recently witnessed a shake-up with the announcement of a new Chief of Staff and a restructure of the Mayor's Office, aiming to bolster service delivery and economic growth while still recovering from the devastation left by a tornado. Mayor Cara Spencer expressed her gratitude to the outgoing interim Chief of Staff, Nancy Hawes, whose tenure included navigating post-tornado recovery and restructuring the office for efficiency.
On August 15, Casey Millburg prepared to step into the role of Chief of Staff, following Nancy Hawes, who, after steering the city through natural disaster and organizational change, moves on to serve as chair of the SLDC board. "Nancy Hawes has shown fantastic dedication to St. Louis by stepping away from a highly successful legal career to lead the build-out of my administration and my staff through the intense transition and the massive challenge of responding to the May 16 tornado," Mayor Spencer said in a statement obtained by the City of St. Louis. Meanwhile, Millburg, lauded for her behind-the-scenes leadership and policy expertise, geared up to spearhead policy and strategy as well as manage office staff.
Hawes' efforts included managing city development corporations, appointing cabinet members, and initiating various economic development boards. Amid accolades, Hawes stated, "It has singularly been an honor and a privilege to have worked with so many fine, smart, and dedicated people in City Hall and throughout our community." Her role was pivotal in setting up the city's Recovery Office and in responding to the immediate aftermath of the tornado that struck St. Louis earlier in the year.
The reorganized Mayor’s Office will feature a clearer distribution of roles amongst top officials, who will report directly to the Mayor. Chief Operating Officer Ben Jonsson will handle City departments and operations, and Chief Recovery and Neighborhood Transformation Officer Julian Nicks will continue to oversee the tornado recovery effort. The search for a Chief Economic Development Officer is ongoing—the position is critical for driving the city’s economic revitalization. "This internal restructuring will help us deliver the kind of services, growth and opportunity that is needed for St. Louis to thrive, attracting new residents and, most importantly, giving those who have already made St. Louis home lots of reasons to stay," explained by Mayor Spencer in a City of St. Louis' release.
