Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot has announced her first round of hires as she works to fill out her senior staff in advance of her inauguration next week.
Lightfoot, who will officially take the oath of office on Monday at Wintrust Arena, filled several key positions in her administration, including naming Jennie Huang Bennett as her Chief Financial Officer and Maurice Classen as her Chief of Staff.
“I’m confident that the talented team we are announcing today will help drive our key policies and initiatives over our first 100 days and beyond,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “Our city is filled with great talent, and that was made abundantly clear by the calibre of the people who applied to be part of transforming the way that Chicago’s government serves its communities.”
Bennett is currently serving as the CFO for Chicago Public Schools, according to the press release. Classen has served in roles at the McArthur Foundation and the Chicago Police Department, serving as the Director of Strategy at the department.
Lightfoot also filled several other key positions. Dan Lurie was named as Lightfoot’s Policy Director, and Celia Meza as Counsel and the Senior Ethics Advisor of the administration. Susie Park will serve as Lightfoot’s Budget Director, and Anel Ruiz will serve as Press Secretary.
Candace Moore was named as the city’s first Chief Equity Officer, according to the release. She will oversee the Office of Equity and Racial Justice.
“Candace has committed her career to advocating for change on behalf of our most vulnerable residents and communities,” Lightfoot said. “She has my utmost confidence to lead our new Office of Equity and Racial Justice, which will work to make government more transparent and fair for all residents.”
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Additional announcements will be made about staffing in the coming weeks, according to the administration.
