Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork is set to pull back the curtain on her transition team next Tuesday at Southern University at New Orleans, in what her campaign is touting as “a new era of accountability.” The group blends law enforcement veterans with civic and business leaders and is tasked with getting the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office ready ahead of her planned May 4, 2026 swearing-in.
Who’s on the team?
According to the Orleans Sheriff Transition site, the operation will be steered by four co-chairs: Ayame Dinkler, certified public accountant Sean M. Bruno, attorney Stephen Gelé and retired Chief Murphy J. Paul Jr.
The handoff is set to be managed day to day by co-executive directors Gavin Lewis and Allen Square, supported by a small administrative staff, per the transition site.
Woodfork’s record
Woodfork climbed the ranks of the New Orleans Police Department and in 2022 became the city’s first woman to serve as interim superintendent. She retired from NOPD in 2024 and later joined the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office as director of forensics and intelligence, as reported by WDSU.
Voters then handed her the sheriff’s job on Oct. 11, 2025, when she defeated incumbent Susan Hutson with roughly 53% of the vote and avoided a runoff, according to WWNO.
Why the lineup matters
The mix of fiscal, legal and policing credentials on the transition team is clearly aimed at some urgent, unglamorous problems: staffing shortages, jail safety and tighter financial oversight.
Those priorities came into sharp focus after a high-profile jailbreak on May 16, 2025 and subsequent reporting on plumbing and maintenance failures at the Orleans Justice Center, per the Associated Press.
Next steps
Woodfork’s team says next Tuesday’s public rollout at Southern University at New Orleans will spell out immediate priorities along with an early hiring plan, an event first noted by WGNO.
For media inquiries, the campaign lists Emma Trunkle at [email protected]. The full transition roster and contact information are posted on the Vote Michelle Woodfork site.
