Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery has made his first five appointments to the new Shelby County administration.
Lowery, who took office Sept. 1, is tasked with filling hundreds of appointments in county government.
“The culture shift of Shelby County Government is underway,” Lowery said in a press release.
Chief of staff
Lowery appointed Felecia Higgs Walker, the manager of his campaign for mayor, as his chief of staff.
Walker is a native Memphian, and prior to joining the Lowery administration, she served as a deputy administrator in Shelby County where she supported the judicial operations of the Mental Health Court.
She also has experience in the non-profit and private sectors, and founded a professional development company.
Chief administrative officer
Maura Black Sullivan will serve as
the county's chief administrative officer.
Sullivan has experience in government and public education leadership, most recently holding the chief operating officer position for Metro Nashville Public Schools. Prior to that, she served as the chief operating officer for the City of Chattanooga.
She previously held leadership roles with the City of Memphis and Shelby County Schools. Sullivan's career in public service started at age 16 as an intern in the Shelby County Mayor's office under former Mayor Bill Morris.
Chief financial officer
Lowery appointed Brian Collins to serve as chief financial officer for the county.
Collins has experience in banking, finance, law and public administration, including serving as finance director and chief financial officer for the City of Memphis under Mayors A C Wharton Jr. and Jim Strickland.
He has also served as an adjunct professor at several universities, including the University of Memphis.
Director of public works
David C. Bradford Jr., who just finished two terms as Shelby County Commissioner, will serve as the county's director of public works.
While serving on the Commission, he held chair and vice chair positions on the Public Works Committee, which oversaw the county's infrastructure and public works priorities.
Native to Shelby County, Bradford has experience in engineering consulting and general contracting.
Director of human resources
Lowery also appointed Crystal R. Oliver as director of human resources for Shelby County Government.
Oliver most recently served as chief of human resources for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, following a decades-long career with FedEx. She held senior operational and human resources leadership roles at FedEx, including vice president of the Memphis World Hub.
She also serves on several community boards in Memphis.
Annie Goldman covers government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at annie.goldman@commercialappeal.com or 901-930-7431, and followed on X @AnnieSGoldman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County mayor appoints key positions in county administration
