City Partnering with VCU’s Wilder School for Performance Review

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced VCU’s Wilder School will be assisting with the comprehensive performance review of all agencies in City Hall, which the mayor cited as his top priority among the initiatives of his first 100 days.

Mayor Stoney said, “The City is partnering with the results-inducing Performance Management Group (PMG) and Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to help us fulfill the promise I made during my campaign to bring accountability to our local government.”

Dr. James M. Burke, the director of PMG who specializes in organizational development and improving effectiveness in the workplace, will now lead the performance review with PMG and CURA. The review will continue in three phases, which include a review of previous audit reports, extensive interviews with City personnel and delivery of important recommendations that will be implemented to achieve the mayor’s objective of building a City Hall that works, and works together. “We are excited by the commitment of the City’s leadership to improving City operations and services to the public; and we are delighted to be engaged in this process,” said Dr. Burke.

Both PMG and CURA are part of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU, and each have a wide range of consultation successes in assisting governmental organizations in transforming workflows and work cultures, implementing best practices and bringing about a renewed dedication and commitment among public employees to customer and public service.

The Stoney administration and VCU have also secured additional assistance with this review from numerous Richmond stakeholders, including Dr. John Accordino and Greg Wingfield from VCU's Wilder School; Robert Dortch from Robins Foundation; Dr. Bill Murray from Dominion; former Dominion Director of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Partnerships, Iris Holliday; Jim Kresge and George Ruzek from Capital One; Andrea Archer, Teri Miles, Charlie Agee and Michael Walton from Altria; Casey Lucier from McGuireWoods; former Brink’s CFO, Joe Dziedzic; local business woman Teresa Caviness; and Brian Jackson from Hirschler Fleischer and Chair of Venture Richmond, among others.

Altria Group and Dominion Resources are also contributing financially, by providing $50,000 each to match the City’s cost to fund this initiative. “We can’t do it all alone,” added the mayor, “I am grateful for the support we’re receiving to help get this completed.”

Mayor Stoney Announces Interim Human Resources Director

Korita Jones, Interim Director, Department of Human Resources:  Korita Jones will serve as Interim Director, Department of Human Resources.

A Petersburg native and 2005 graduate of Virginia State University, Jones most recently served as HR Division Chief of the Compensation and Benefits Division of Human Resources.  Jones joined the City in 2009 as a HR Consultant and has been promoted to various City positions to include Policy Analyst and HR Liaison for City Council Offices. 

Mayor Stoney Announces Administration Appointments

Mayor Levar M. Stoney is pleased to announce the following appointments:
 
Bobby Vincent Jr., Interim Director, Department of Public Works:  Bobby Vincent Jr. assumes the role of DPW Interim Director with nearly 25 years of experience working for the City of Richmond. Vincent, a graduate of Virginia State University who holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, began his public service career with the city in 1992 as an engineer, and most recently served as DPW’s Deputy Director.

Debbie Patricia Jackson, Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Human Services:  Debbie Jackson will serve as Interim Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Human Services. Jackson, a graduate of Dartmouth College who holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, brings more than 20 years of training management experience to the job. Jackson has served as the Training Manager in the City of Richmond since 2009. Prior to joining the city, Jackson worked as Training Manager for the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and held various supervisory positions in training for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

David Daniels, Interim Fire Chief:  David Daniels will serve as Interim Fire Chief. Daniels assumes the role after serving as Chief Safety Officer and Deputy Fire Chief for the City of Richmond since 2015. Prior to joining the City of Richmond, Daniels, served as Executive Director of Workforce Safety in the City of Atlanta, part of a 35-year career in fire safety and emergency services. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Services from Easter Oregon University and a Master of Human Resources Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Atlanta.

In addition to the appointments, the mayor announced management of the Department of Human Resources will transition from the Human Services portfolio to being under the direction of the Finance and Administration portfolio overseen by Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Lenora Reid.
 
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of these dedicated professionals to their roles as interim directors for their respective departments,” Mayor Stoney said. “The City of Richmond is moving in a new direction. I am thankful to have these experienced professionals as part of our management team and excited to see what they can do to improve our government and move our city forward.”