New and familiar names appointed by recently sworn-in South Bend Mayor

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Several new South Bend City officials for Mayor James Mueller were sworn in on Monday, but there were also a few notable holdovers from former Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s administration, including Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski and Public Works Director Eric Horvath.

Kacey Gergely was appointed as Mayor Mueller’s Chief of Staff. She was Mueller’s campaign manager during the South Bend Mayoral election in 2019 and has a background in campaign finance and strategy. She is also a Notre Dame alum.

Jordan Gathers was appointed as Mayor Mueller’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Gathers was formerly with Indiana University Health as a staff member for the office of the President. He was in charge of a strategic planning team who were instrumental in planning a $2 billion replacement project for the hospital.

Shalon “Shay” Davis was promoted to Mayor Mueller’s Director of Community Outreach. Shalon was previously an Executive Assistant in the same office and she also served as the city’s United Way Coordinator, a board member of Mamas Against Violence (MAVs), and a Community Relations Coordinator for the St. Joseph County African American Democratic Coalition.

The following officials from the previous administration will remain in charge of their respective departments:

• 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

In a statement, Mayor James Mueller said: “I’m excited to hit the ground running with this talented team. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and make progress on behalf of our residents.”