Thomson names chief of staff, interim leaders
As she prepares to take office on January 1, 2024, today Bloomington Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson announced additional appointments to her administration. The latest appointments include:
Chief of Staff: Josefa Madrigal
Mayor-Elect Thomson will appoint Josefa Madrigal as her Chief of Staff to manage the day-to-day operations of the mayor’s office. Madrigal, who is currently serving in the same capacity for Mayor John Hamilton, is a graduate of Indiana University and the Indiana University Police Academy. A former police officer, she has also worked for Coburn Place Safe Haven, the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office and the City of Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department.City Attorney: Larry Allen
Mayor-Elect Thomson will appoint Larry Allen to serve as City Attorney. A lifelong resident of Bloomington, Allen currently serves as Deputy Mayor and previously served as the Assistant City Attorney. A graduate of Olivet Nazarene University, Allen earned his master’s degree at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and his law degree from the McKinney School of Law.Housing & Neighborhood Development: Anna Killion Hanson
Mayor-Elect Thomson has selected Anna Killion Hanson as the interim Housing and Neighborhood Development Director. A Bloomington native, Hanson currently serves as the department’s Assistant Director and has more than 20 years of experience working in real estate including appraisals, home and building inspections, construction, development, property management, weatherization, and real estate sales and brokerage.Planning & Transportation: Jacqueline Scanlan, AICP
Mayor-Elect Thomson has named Jacqueline Scanlan as the interim Director of the City’s Planning and Transportation Department. Currently serving as the department’s Services Manager, she has worked in the department since 2015. A former member of the Monroe County Planning Department, Scanlan earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Thomson also announced that Angela Van Rooy and Crystal Ritter will continue in their part-time, interim roles in the Mayor’s Office, while searches for permanent staff take place. Van Rooy has been acting as the interim Communications Director and Ritter, who works for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, has served as the interim Public Engagement Director.
Thomson names interim fire chief
Following yesterday’s announcement that Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore will resign his position at the end of 2023, today Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson designated Roger Kerr as interim fire chief.
Kerr, who has been with the department since 1988, previously served as its chief from 2008 to 2014. A current battalion chief, Kerr has held the rank of fire fighter, engineer, ariel technician and captain over his career. He will assume the position on January 1, 2024.
“Chief Kerr will bring experience and a steady hand to the Bloomington Fire Department, and I am grateful he has agreed to step up once again.”
As with other department leadership vacancies, Thomson and her team will conduct a search to find the best person possible to fill the fire chief’s position on a permanent basis.
Thomson selected For the Bloomberg Center For Cities At Harvard program for new mayors
Thomson will gain tools and training from the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, Bloomberg Philanthropies, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School to set strategic priorities and build an effective city hall organization through the first 100 days in office
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As new mayors prepare to take the reins in city halls across the country, Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson has been selected as one of the 29 newly-elected U.S. mayors to participate in the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University’s Program for New Mayors: First 100 Days, delivered in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School.
As a participant in the Program for New Mayors, Thomson will receive world-class training from Harvard faculty, urban innovation and management experts, and other mayors on how to set strategic citywide priorities, build effective city hall organizations, and deliver for residents. Together, the new class of the Program for New Mayors hails from 21 states and represents more than 9.75 million residents nationwide.
“I am honored to be selected for this training and am committed to implementing what I learn to help us build an even better, stronger Bloomington,” said Thomson.
As cities find themselves on the frontlines of addressing increasingly global challenges, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard’s Program for New Mayors is designed to help new mayors make the most of their roles. Through the program, mayors gain strategic insights for strengthening critical leadership and management skills, leading teams to work across departments and sectors, and building out their city hall organizations in their first days and months in office.
Starting today, Thomson is participating in an immersive, two-day classroom experience at Harvard University. In addition to the core coursework and connection with peers, the Program for New Mayors provides opportunities for participants to share strategies with other mayors through the Bloomberg Center for Cities’ vast mayoral leadership network and learn about interventions that are already working effectively to better resident lives in other cities.
Notable Program for New Mayors alumni include Anaheim, California Mayor Ashleigh Aitken; Columbia, Missouri Mayor Barbara Buffaloe; Long Beach, California Mayor Rex Richardson; Louisville, Kentucky Mayor Craig Greenberg; Newport News, Virginia Mayor Phillip Jones; Oakland, California Mayor Sheng Thao; and Providence, Rhode Island Mayor Brett Smiley. Alumni have deployed the program’s learnings to lead their communities through unexpected crises, establish working coalitions with diverse stakeholders, and set ambitious goals to meet complex challenges — from tackling homelessness and housing access to improving community safety and aging city infrastructure — in order to better serve residents’ needs.
The Program for New Mayors is housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, home to a fast-growing global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Center is part of Michael R. Bloomberg’s commitment to the University to help bolster the capabilities of mayors and their teams. The Center’s cross-Harvard collaboration unites expertise focused on cities across disciplines and schools to produce research, train leaders, and develop resources for global use. The Center is designed to have widespread impact on the future of cities, where more than half of the world’s people now live, by informing and inspiring local government leaders, scholars, students, and others who work to improve the lives of residents around the world.
The Program for New Mayors builds on the longstanding tradition of a seminar for new mayors that originated at the Institute of Politics in 1975.
About the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University:
Founded in 2021 with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University is a fast-growing global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. The Bloomberg Center for Cities is an unprecedented cross-Harvard collaboration that unites expertise focused on cities across disciplines and schools to produce research, train leaders, and develop resources for global use. The Center is designed to have widespread impact on the future of cities, where more than half of the world’s people now live, by informing and inspiring local government leaders, scholars, students, and others who work to improve the lives of residents around the world. For more information, please visit cities.harvard.edu or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2022, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed U.S. $1.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow U.S. on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter/X, and LinkedIn.
About The Institute of Politics:
The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School was established in 1966 as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy. The Institute’s mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, policymakers, and journalists on a non-partisan basis to inspire them to pursue pathways in politics and public service. For more information about the Institute of Politics and its programming, visit iop.harvard.edu.
About the U.S. Conference of Mayors:
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Follow our work on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and Medium.
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Thomson names leadership team
Mayor-Elect appoints Deputy Mayor, Department heads
Bloomington Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson announced appointments to lead the city’s departments effective January 1, 2024.
“As we set a course to build an even better Bloomington for everyone, I am thrilled to announce a team with the experience, expertise and enthusiasm to lead us forward,” Thomson said.
The appointees include returning department heads, professionals new to city government, and interim personnel who will run agencies as searches are conducted for permanent leadership. The appointments are:
Deputy Mayor: Gretchen Knapp
Mayor-Elect Thomson will appoint Gretchen Knapp as Deputy Mayor to oversee the daily operations of city hall. Currently the head of both operations and marketing for The Mill, Knapp has worked as an entrepreneur, executive, and freelance consultant throughout her career. She is a graduate of Kalamazoo College and earned her master’s degree from Indiana University.City Controller: Jessica McClellan
Monroe County Treasurer Jessica McClellan will join the Thomson administration as Bloomington’s chief financial officer. As City Controller, McCellan will manage the city’s finance department as well as its overall budget and accounting systems. A graduate of Indiana University, McClellan will resign as County Treasurer effective December 31, 2023, to take on the new role.Deputy City Controller: Kurt Zorn
Longtime Indiana University economist, professor, associate vice provost, and public finance expert Kurt Zorn, will join the Thomson administration as Deputy City Controller on an interim basis. Zorn, who earned his doctorate and master’s degrees from Syracuse University, serves on the city’s Economic Development Commission as well as the Indiana Finance Authority and is a past chair of the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners.Community & Family Resources: Beverly Calender-Anderson
Mayor-Elect Thomson will appoint Beverly Calender-Anderson to serve as Director of the Community and Family Resources Department on an interim basis. Calender-Anderson has held the position since 2014 and announced her retirement earlier this year. A graduate of Judson University, she previously served as the City’s Safe and Civil City Director.Corporation Counsel: Margie Rice
Margie Rice will be appointed Corporation Counsel, leading the City’s Legal Department in the Thomson administration. A graduate of Butler University, Rice earned her law degree from the Maurer School of Law, graduating cum laude. During her 25-year legal career, she has served as a deputy prosecuting attorney, represented clients in private practice, and was a member of municipal legal teams at both Monroe County and City of Bloomington governments. Rice previously served as Corporation Counsel during the Kruzan administration.Economic and Sustainable Development Department: Jane Kupersmith
Jane Kupersmith will join the Thomson Administration as the Director of Economic and Sustainable Development. She currently serves as Executive Director of CDFI Friendly Bloomington, which works to attract community development capital to the Indiana Uplands. A former Assistant Director of Small Business Development for the city from 2020 to 2022, Kupersmith also co-founded Hopscotch Coffee in 2014 and co-owned Rainbow Bakery from 2017 to 2023.City Engineering: Andrew Cibor
Mayor-Elect Thomson will reappoint Andrew Cibor as City Engineer. A graduate of Northwestern University and member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Cibor has led the city’s Engineering Department since its inception in 2021. Previously, he served as the city's Transportation and Traffic Engineer in the Planning & Transportation Department from 2015 to 2018.Fire Department: Jason Moore
Jason Moore will be reappointed as Bloomington’s Fire Chief by Mayor-Elect Thomson. Serving in the role since 2016, Moore previously worked in fire departments throughout South Carolina, served in the United States Air Force and worked as a consultant. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Columbia Southern University and a second master’s degree from Strayer University.Human Resources Department: Sharmaine Pechac
Sharmaine Pechac will be appointed to serve as Director of Human Resources in the Thomson administration. Pechac founded GreyPrint Consulting and is a senior certified professional by the Society for Human Resource Management. She has a doctorate from the University of Toledo and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Akron.Information & Technology Services: Rick Dietz
Rick Dietz will be reappointed to serve as the Director of the Department of Information & Technology Services in the Thomson administration. Dietz, who has held the position since 2004, earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Indiana University.Parks & Recreation: Tim Street
Mayor-Elect Thomson will name Tim Street as the Parks & Recreation Department Director. Street, who has served as the department’s Operations and Development Director since 2021, previously worked at Indiana University. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University.Police Department: Mike Diekhoff
Continuing his long service to the Bloomington community, Mayor-Elect Thomson will reappoint Mike Diekhoff as Police Chief. Diekhoff, who has been on the force since 1987, has been Chief since 2008. Diekhoff is a graduate of Indiana University.Public Works: Adam Wason
Mayor-Elect Thomson will reappoint Adam Wason as Director of Bloomington’s Department of Public Works. An experienced public servant, he has been in the role since 2016 and previously served as Deputy Mayor, the city’s Communications Director, and in the Economic and Sustainable Development and Utilities Departments. Wason earned both his undergraduate and two master's certificates from the O’Neil School at Indiana University.Utilities: John Langley
Mayor Elect Thomson will appoint John Langley as the interim Public Utilities Department Director. Langley, who retired as the department’s deputy director in 2019, is a former Deputy Mayor, Personnel Director, and Housing Code Enforcement Officer.
Thomson and her team will conduct searches for permanent leaders in the Planning, Housing & Neighborhood Development, Community & Family Resources and Utilities Departments.
An open letter to Bloomington
Bloomington, it’s time to build a bigger table and a brighter future.
Our community faces many challenges, from the lack of affordable housing to substance use and mental health crises to ensuring our city is truly safe. To address them, everyone needs a seat at the table when we make decisions. Our different experiences, perspectives, and opinions are invaluable. They make ideas and proposals stronger. They make us think in new ways. They help us challenge assumptions.
And, ultimately, they will lead us to create a shared vision and plan for Bloomington’s future.
Over the last year, I have talked to thousands of voters, attended hundreds of community events and forums, and hosted dozens of listening sessions.
I learned something important: people care about this community and its direction, but many don’t feel heard.
As Mayor, I will change that by leading an administration that listens first and respects all voices. We will bring city services to neighborhoods across Bloomington, and we will consistently reach out to residents to make it easy for them to participate in their government.
That starts now—with you.
Some may not know that the Mayor appoints volunteers to serve on dozens of boards and commissions that help set policy for everything from parks to public safety. There will be many opportunities to serve in the new year. I encourage you to consider where your voice would be most valuable and apply for a role in helping shape Bloomington’s future. Haven’t served before? Worried that you don’t have enough experience? Don’t be deterred. We want and welcome fresh voices and new perspectives. For more information, please visit https://bloomington.in.gov/onboard/applicants/apply.
On January 1, I will join a team of highly qualified civil servants who are dedicated to our city, our community, and our future. Together, with people like you at the table, we will tackle the challenges that lay before us and build a brighter future for everyone in Bloomington.
Thank you,
Kerry Thomson
Mayor-Elect, City of Bloomington