Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Makes Major Changes To His Administration’s Cabinet

Time to move on!

Atlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens is moving some people out and around his cabinet after only serving two years.

Between the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and city administration, Atlanta will see new faces in leadership departments across the growing city. Jan Lennon will move from deputy general manager of operations to temporary general manager, replacing Balram “B” Bheodari, who has worked at Hartsfield since 1999.

Stepping down on June 30, Bheodari will assist with the transition of power as Lennon will take over effective July 1. In a statement, the seasoned airport associate says he is “proud” of his work there — including facilitating the construction of the $1.3 billion fifth runway and the $1.4 billion international terminal. “I wish the best for my colleagues in Atlanta, and I have faith that Mayor Andre Dickens will achieve his vision of building Atlanta for the future and changing lives,” he said.

A permanent general manager has yet to be named, but Dickens hopes to change that before the end of 2024.

Atlanta Police Department’s Chief Administrative Officer, Peter Aman, will soon serve as the city’s chief strategy officer starting May 15. Reporting directly to Dickens, Aman’s responsibilities will begin with assisting the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center, which treats over 120 million gallons of wastewater daily.

Two of the most significant shifts can be seen between the Department of Public Works and the Department of Watershed Management: former public works commissioner Al. Wiggins Jr. began serving as the Department of Watershed Management commissioner on May 2. Wiggins is replacing longtime commissioner Mikita K. Browning, who has been with the city since 2011.

Kentorri Garmon, who previously served as the department’s director of innovation and performance management, is taking over as the interim commissioner of the Department of Public Works.

Lastly, LaChandra Burks, Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer, will be stationed as the interim chief operating officer starting May 25. Replacing Lisa Benjamin, who Dickens cited as the reason behind the city’s 21% crime drop, has led city operations since 2022.

The two leading women worked together to improve the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department stations and airport operations.

The mayor highlighted his Moving Atlanta Forward agenda as partial reasoning for the changes. With four pillars — One Safe City, A City of Opportunity for All, A City Built For the Future, and Effective & Ethical Government — Dickens said the plan isn’t just for the future but for the betterment of residents living there. “My vision for an Atlanta that has safe, healthy, and connected neighborhoods and access and opportunity for all residents is not a 10, 20, or 30-year goal,” Dickens said.

“We are building for the future, but we also know we can make a difference in people’s lives. My Moving Atlanta Forward agenda has achievable action items, and we’ve seen that by bringing people together from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors, we can get more done faster.”

The mayor is also adjusting things in the court system. He appointed former co-director of the Safe & Stable Homes Project at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Pierce Hand Seitz, to the City of Atlanta Municipal Court. Dickens celebrated his decision, citing Seitz’s background as an educator and his commitment to fair legal representation.