Key city officials from the South Bend Mayor’s Office and heads of city departments were sworn into office on Monday, Jan. 7. The collective talent and experience position the administration to build on the progress and tackle the challenges before us.
“I’m excited to hit the ground running with this talented team,” said Mayor James Mueller. “We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and make progress on behalf of our residents.”
Chief of Staff – A native Hoosier, Kacey Gergely has been named Chief of Staff for the Mayor’s Office. Gergely was the Campaign Manager for Mayor Mueller’s 2019 Mayoral election. Prior to moving back to South Bend, Gergely worked on campaign finance and strategy for a statewide race in Georgia. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame, she served in the Peace Corps in Tanzania and then returned home to pursue a Master’s in Public Health from Emory University.
Deputy Chief of Staff – Jordan Gathers has been named as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Mayor’s Office. Gathers joins the administration from Indiana University Health in the Office of the President engaging communications to both internal and external stakeholders. He previously served as liaison between Executive and staff members — overseeing the strategic planning team for $2 billion replacement hospital project. Gathers graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a B.S. in Journalism and Mass Communications. He also attended Butler University and later earned a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Director of Community Outreach – Shalon “Shay” Davis has been promoted to Director of Community Outreach. Davis has faithfully served the City of South Bend since 1998. In addition to her core duties as Executive Assistant to the Mayor’s office, Davis has served as the city’s United Way Coordinator, a board member of Mamas Against Violence (MAVs), Community Relations Coordinator for the St. Joseph County African American Democratic Coalition, volunteer with the annual Martin Luther King celebration, and volunteer coordinator with Toys for Tots. Davis is a native of South Bend, a graduate of John Adams High School, and proud mother.
Many department heads from the previous administration have answered the call to continue their service:
Aaron Perri, Executive Director of Venue, Parks, and Arts
Chuck Bulot, Building Commissioner
Daniel Parker, City Controller
Denise Riedl, Chief Innovation Officer
Eric Horvath, Director of Public Works
Kyra Clark, Director of Human Resources
Scott Ruszkowski, Chief of Police
Stephanie Steele, Corporation Counsel
