Youngstown mayor-elect McDowell announces round of cabinet appointments
In a news release from Youngstown mayor-elect Derrick McDowell on Monday, December 22, the mayor-elect announced his picks in a round of cabinet appointments.
McDowell will officially take office in January 2026 and has announced his appointments for key positions over the span of three phases.
In Phase One, McDowell appointed a Chief of Staff, a Law Director and a Director of Finance. Then later, in Phase Two, McDowell identified a Chief of Police and a Fire Chief.
Now, in Phase Three, McDowell is announcing the following appointments:
- Chuck Shasho as Deputy Director of Public Works, being noted as reappointed and interim
- Harry L. Johnson III as Water Commissioner, being noted as reappointed
- Michael Durkin as Blight Remediation & Code Enforcement, being noted as reappointed
- DeMaine Kitchen as Community Planning & Economic Development Director, being noted as newly appointed
A full biography of the appointees is available on the "McDowell for Youngstown Mayor" website here.
"Their individual and combined institutional knowledge and deep understanding of Youngstown's many communities and the challenges our residents face makes them uniquely prepared for these respective roles. Under the guidance of a new vision and new leadership, their work is set to produce much more impactful results on behalf of our city's residents," said McDowell in the news release.
It is noted in the release that McDowell does have a few other remaining selections, including Director of Parks & Recreation and Coordinator of Downtown Events & Special Projects.
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