On May 2, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced several leadership changes to his cabinet. The shifts come as the mayor wraps up the first half of his term that ends in 2025.
Dickens, who defeated Felicia Moore in 2021 to become the city’s 61st mayor, has announced he is seeking a second term.
Those appointed to the cabinet are:
- LaChandra Butler Burks, interim chief operating officer for the city.
- Jan Lennon, interim general manager, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Al Wiggins Jr., commissioner, Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.
- Kentorri Garmon, interim commissioner, Atlanta Department of Public Works.
- Peter Aman, Atlanta chief strategy officer, a newly created role.
Dickens said during the first two years of his term, his senior team focused on establishing his Moving Atlanta Forward agenda and delivering results in public safety, opportunities for all to share in the city’s progress, infrastructure investments, and effective and ethical government.
He said that the city has already achieved many milestones in public safety, affordable housing and operational efficiency, and that the leadership changes in the cabinet are intended to accelerate execution and implementation of the plan.
“My vision for an Atlanta that has safe, healthy and connected neighborhoods and access and opportunity for all residents is not a 10, 20 or 30 year goal,” he said in a news release. “We are building for the future, but we also know we can make a difference in people’s lives right now. My Moving Atlanta Forward agenda has achievable action items and we’ve seen that by bringing people together from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors, we can get more done, faster.”
He thanked the people who will soon be leaving his administration: Lisa Y. Benjamin as COO; Balram ‘B’ Bheodari, general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; and Mikita K. Browning, commissioner of the Department of Watershed Management.
LaChandra Butler Burks takes over as COO on May 25. She has served as deputy chief operating officer for more than three years and is a former interim commissioner of the City of Atlanta’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
Jan Lennon, who currently serves as deputy general manager of operations of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, will begin as interim manager on July 1. In her role now, she leads the airport’s operations, public safety and security, transportation traffic enforcement, and facilities and asset management divisions.
The city plans to hire an executive search firm to assist with finding and recruiting a permanent airport general manager before the end of the year. Dickens said he will soon name a search committee to assist with the process.
Al Wiggins Jr. takes over as commissioner of the Department of Watershed Management immediately. He was commissioner of the Department of Public Works.
Kentorri Garmon has been with the city for four years and will replace Wiggins as interim commissioner of the Department of Public Works.
Dickens said his priorities for Wiggins and the Department of Watershed Management include a heightened focus and urgency on its Capital Improvement Program. Projects include increasing the capacity of the city’s water supply, continuing green infrastructure projects that manage stormwater runoff, reducing the environmental impact and enhancing watershed management.
Peter Aman will take over the new role of chief strategy officer on May 15. His current role is chief administrative officer of the Atlanta Police Department. Aman was chief operating officer of the city of Atlanta from 2010 through 2011.