JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mayor Alvin Brown has announced some key personnel changes.
Mayor Brown has promoted Deputy Chief Administrator Karen Bowling as the city's chief administrative officer. Current Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Hyde will be taking on a new role to focus on the city's pension concerns.
According to a news release from the city, Bowling was instrumental in the city's reorganizational efforts throughout the past 13 months. Her new salary is $210,000.
The mayor also announced two other key appointments Tuesday. Cleveland Ferguson III will take over Bowling's former job as the deputy chief administrative officer. Ferguson is an instructor at Florida Coastal School of Law. He also served on the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission with a focus on industrial development. His salary will be $135,000.
Alexis Lambert will manage the Office of Public Accountability, an office that Mayor Brown created to promote transparency in government. Lambert is a former Deputy General Counsel for the Florida Attorney General's Office. Her salary will be $80,000.
Kevin Hyde's new title is Counselor to the Mayor. It's a role that will continue to cost taxpayers just $1 through an executive-on-loan agreement. According to the city, Hyde's labor law experience as well as his knowledge of the pension issue from his time on City Council will help to formulate a strategy to ensure the city's pension plans remain sustainable and fully funded.
