Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has appointed Kerry Hayes to serve as his new chief of staff.
Stacy Richardson, who has served as the mayor's chief of staff since November 2015, has accepted the role of director of urban innovation with the National League of Cities in Washington, D.C.
Hayes, who has served as deputy chief of staff since 2015, has a background in public policy which began in Memphis, where he served as special assistant to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. after serving as the communications director for Wharton's 2009 campaign. He later founded Key Public Strategies, a public policy and communications consulting firm, before coming to Chattanooga.
"Kerry's experience in the public and private sectors have brought tremendous value to my senior leadership team since he joined the administration," Berke, whose second and final term as mayor ends next year, said in a statement Friday morning. "I look forward to his counsel as we work to continue our progress."
Richardson also previously worked for Berke as chief policy officer and campaign manager for his 2013 mayoral campaign.
"Stacy's positive impact on our city over the last seven years cannot be measured," Mayor Berke added. "Her thoroughness, thoughtfulness and heart for this community will be missed, but I'm excited to see her continue some of this work at the next level with the National League of Cities."
Richardson's last day in Berke's office is Jan. 30.