Mayor-elect Moreno announces new city leadership under deputy mayor structure

By Keziah-Yvonne Smith
Contributing Writer

As she prepares for her inauguration in January, Mayor-elect Helena Moreno presented key members of her administration and leadership team on Dec. 2. adding that she will “bring back” the role of deputy mayors and outlined as her primary focus on “urgency and transparency.” Despite having received applications nationwide, all of those selected are familiar faces, she said, hailing from within the city.

“The reason I am bringing back the deputy mayor system is because this is a good way to keep me organized, so that everyone understands who they should be going to on these different issues and who is directly reporting to me on many of these issues,” said Moreno during the press conference.

Moreno has selected Joe Giarrusso III, the current City Councilmember for District A, as first deputy mayor and chief administrative officer (CAO), having served on the city council with Moreno for the past eight years. Moreno says that as CAO, Giarrusso will be responsible for the “most substantive” department of city services to operate.

“When I talk[ed] to the mayor-elect about what we wanted to do and what is important to her administration, it was about focusing on a couple of basics: financial stewardship, efficiency [and] operational excellence. If you are not on board with that, then this might not be the right administration for you,” said Giarrusso, after he was announced.

“As a District councilmember, I get tired and frustrated when I email departments because residents have been seeking them out, and there has been a lack of coordination between those departments. That has to end,” he added.

Among many changes, Giarrusso plans to implement measures such as monthly check-ins with departments on deliverables, budget issues and deadlines, increased accountability and transparency from City Hall and more frequent budget briefings. The plan is for city council decisions to be made publicly with input from constituents. While Moreno’s pick of Giarrusso has garnered some controversy, Giarrusso says to “give [him] time to win your heart and mind.”

“We have to rebuild trust. There is hope in the city right now, but the only way we keep that is by being diligent and urgent in execution. It comes about with [. . .] more discussion about what is happening,” Giarrusso said. “The important thing we have to do with transparency is making sure we put the information out there as much as we can.”

Moreno announced each member one by one, starting with her selected deputy mayor and chief of staff, Kevin Ferguson. Ferguson serves as the vice president of New Orleans & Company, formerly known as the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. Ferguson said he is honored to step into the role, fulfilling his commitment to “making New Orleans a better place.”

“The main purpose of this role is to ensure that the mayor’s vision and agenda are effectively delivered to the people of New Orleans, collaborating across city partners and external stakeholders, ensuring performance and accountability,” Ferguson said at the conference. “I am also here to serve as a bridge between City Hall and community, business [and] civic leaders. The ultimate goal of this work is for our residents to see and feel the impact in their daily lives, not just with paperwork and approved processes.”

Moreno’s leadership team also includes Chief Michael Harrison as deputy mayor of public safety, Dr. Jennifer Avengo, as deputy mayor of Health & Human Services and Renee Lapeyrolerie as deputy mayor of external affairs. Moreno said she believes that her team is fully prepared to take office on Jan. 12, 2026, all sharing her similar passion for efficiency. She hopes her selected administration will help drive New Orleans in a “new direction,” that residents will experience day one in office.

“The other piece about each of the people you see next to me is that they will do whatever is possible to get the job done. I am just very grateful for all these individuals who are stepping up for the role of helping the people of this city,” Moreno said. “They could be doing a lot of other things. Obviously, each are [sic] successful in their own right, but they see what the city can be and they want to be a part of that transformation.”

In addition to announcing her selected leadership team, the mayor-elect spoke on how she will navigate through current affairs and her relationship with Governor Jeff Landry as mayor.

“I have known Jeff Landry for a long time….Politically, we could not be further apart, but that does not mean I will not call upon him to help the city of New Orleans,” she said. “I have had these long-term working relations with people across party lines, and I will continue working with them for the betterment of New Orleans.”

This article originally published in the December 8, 2025 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.