The 49th Mayor of the City of Erie, Daria Devlin, has announced that there will be a restructuring of the Mayor’s Office. This new restructuring will include the creation of a Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, an establishment of a new Office of Grants, and a restructure and renaming of the former Department of Economic and Community Development. The Department will be now known as the Department of Neighborhood and Economic Development which will also include new leadership and bureau alignment.
Devlin has also announced new leadership across City departments that will reflect continuity in day-to-day operations.
The newly sworn in mayor stated that the transition team did an incredible job making sure that information and all recommendations were reviews before any decisions were made. She continued that all reorganized positions have been created with the intentions of strengthening the City’s internal capacity, improving their responsiveness to residents within the community, and giving a better position for the City operation to meet any long-term priorities.
“We are all in this together, and above all, my administration and I are committed to serving our community with care, building trust, and delivering excellence,” Devlin said, “and this restructuring is a key part of that commitment.”
The Office of Community Affairs builds to expand the previous work done within the Department of Communications. This Department will serve as the hub for all communication from the public, any community engagement, as well as resident response. This Office plans to prioritize accessibility, responsiveness, and all relationship building. Essentially the goal is to ensure that the needs of residents are met by allowing a direct access to engage with the city government.
The new Office of Grants will ensure that Erie will be well positioned to secure, manage, and steward public and philanthropic funding. Bringing this grant development under one office allows for an increase in competitiveness for any possible funding opportunities improve compliance and transparency as well as a better alignment for grant funding within any City priorities.
The newly renamed Department of Neighborhood and Economic Development (DNED) has been renamed with the intention that it will better reflect the City’s focus on neighborhood vitality, planning, and equitable economic growth.
The entire transition team has created a report that outlines the team’s findings and any recommendations and will be published in late January.
The following positions have been announced as of today:
Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (restructured)
Media and Public Relations Coordinator – Mary Wassell (new)
Digital Media and Design Coordinator – Monica Gustin
Citizen Response Center Coordinator – Mas Sala
Special Events Coordinator – Hunter Lytle (new)
New American Affairs Coordinator – Wuji Ahmad (new)
Office of Community Affairs Coordinator – Tori Williams (new)
Office of Grants (new)
Director – Dave Tamulonis (new)
Grant Writer – Aaron Loncki
Grant Administrator – Kat Blair
Department of Neighborhood and Economic Development (DNED) (restructured)
Director – Cathryn Easterling (new)
Bureau of Planning and Zoning – Jackie Spry, Bureau Chief
Bureau of Building Standards and Safety – Steve Yurkewicz, Bureau Chief
Bureau of DECD Grants – Deb Smith, Bureau Chief
Department of Public Works
Director – Jason Sayers
Assistant Director – Jeff Gibbens
Assistant Director/City Engineer – Leann Parmenter
Bureau Chief of Municipal Garage – Rob Bedow
Bureau Chief of Park – Gary Graham
Bureau Chief of Refuse – Keith Catalde
Bureau Chief of Sewers – Basil Ronzitti
Bureau Chief of Streets – William Wegelin
City of Erie Fire Department
Department of Finance