Lansing mayor shuffles top staff 

Chief of staff named deputy mayor 

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FRIDAY, June 14 — Lansing Mayor Andy Schor today announced a “restructuring” of top city officials, shuffling his chief of staff into a newly created deputy mayor position and re-creating two other new jobs. 

“I’ve been in office for a year and a half, and I am updating these roles to better align with the work they’re already doing to support our City,” Schor said in a press release. “Lansing’s time is now and we must all work together as a team to continue to move Lansing forward both reactively and proactively.” 

The changes are also slated to “increase efficiencies” and create “new local and national opportunities,” he said. 

Chief of Staff Samantha Harkins was appointed deputy mayor, which carries a stronger focus on local partnerships, including legislative work and strategic development projects, according to the press release. Schor said she will also continue her duties as executive assistant to the mayor as outlined in the city charter. 

Chief labor negotiator Nicholas Tate will serve as the newly created chief administrative officer for the city while also continuing his duties as chief labor negotiator. Schor said this will give him an increased role in “resolving day-to-day problems” including finance, labor, human resources and “other issues” that may arise. 

Andrea Crawford, director of the Department of Neighborhoods and Citizen Engagement, will also serve a newly formed dual-role of chief innovation officer. She will continue to work on behalf of neighborhoods in her current department, which recently saw a $60,000 funding boost recently made possible by a mayoral veto. 

She will be the lead on a number of “local initiatives with national entities” like What Works Cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies, GovEx, and others that provide funding to the city, according to the press release. Also, Crawford will lead the upcoming 2020 Census and be “point person” for a new gubernatorial committee. 

Schor will also appoint a chief restructuring officer or chief strategy officer, as recently proposed by the city’s Financial Health Team. That role will be charged with spotting economic efficiencies to help curb the city’s ever-ballooning unfunded pension and post-employment liabilities, according to the press release. 

 

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