Loading ...OLD HANDS AND NEW FACES
Indianapolis Mayor-elect Greg Ballard has chosen old hands and new faces to lead his administration. I told you yesterday that Ballard has chosen Westside community activist Olgen Williams to be his Deputy Mayor for Neighborhoods. This morning Ballard is announcing former Indiana Secretary of State Chief of Staff Paul Okeson as his own Chief of Staff.
Also heading up the leadership team are Chris Cotterill as Corporation Counsel, Carolin Requiz Smith as Director of Latino Affairs, John Cochran as Special Counsel to the Mayor, Greg Wilson as Director of Minority Business Development, and Marcus Barlow as Press Secretary. Cotterill is the General Counsel for Indiana Office of Technology and manages the state’s website, www.IN.gov. Requiz Smith is the Director of the office of Minority Health for the Indiana State Department of Health and is an Executive Board Member for the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs. Cochran is an attorney with John, Lewis, and Wilkins. (Full disclosure, I’m Of Counsel there also.) He served as Ballard’s campaign manager and is also the executive director of the mayoral transition team.
Wilson is a small business owner who has extensive experience with minority MBE vendor programs. And Barlow is currently the spokesperson for the Family and Social Services Administration.
”It is a privilege to have people of this stature work in my administration,” Ballard said in a statement. “We have been charged with making our city safer and becoming better stewards of the taxpayers’ money. This team will make these things happen.”
Ballard has yet to name a public safety director, comptroller, fire chief, and director of the Capital Improvement Board and head of Metropolitan Development. A campaign spokesman says those appointments will come soon.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Chris Cotterill and Paul Okeson are stellar picks here. Two very competent people that are going to do a great job and get us back on the right track and back to a forward moving city.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Cotterill is a star. Ballard and the city are very lucky to get him.
December 28th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Cotterill….71,000 social security numbers accessed…security breach of the State Web site…hum-mm.
December 28th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Paul Okeson is a great guy, but I did not see where he was picked for a position??
Also, where is Ike Randolph??
December 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
John Cochran is bright, able, and honest. Three qualities that Peterson’s team members lacked. Good Luck Cochran!
December 28th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Ok. I see, Chief of Staff…very good…Good Luck Paul!!
December 28th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
I have to say, I was unaware of a few of these people appointed but I have checked out a few and this looks like a bright new group to make some decisions for city. John Cochran did not represent OJ and is not dead, he is an attorney with the John Lewis firm in Indianapolis, although it takes a while to find that out because the other John gets a lot of attention on web. I hope they can make some changes, it is reason I like government, the people spoke.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Seens like a great team. I am a resident in South Bend Indiana. I am familiar with the new Press Secretary, Marcus Barlow. He is a graduate of Notre Dame and have done so much for our community. He has experience in D.C. being a Press Secretary on Capital Hill, he worked at the homeless center in South Bend and also got a lot of experience working on the pastorial staff in Detroit. With his intelligence and hard work ethics, Indianapolis is blessed have him. He also was very sucessful working at FSSA.
Good Luck Mr. Barlow, Indiana is lucky to have you.