May 3, 2010

Former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell is leaving his job as Director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to become the special advisor to Harvard University Executive Vice-President who directs much of Harvard’s Allston development and its relations with the local community. The Allston project is Harvard’s future expansion project, which will exceed in size its current campus. In his new position, Purcell will help direct the future expansion project and build community support.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has appointed Galveston (TX) Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas to a new local, state, and tribal Preparedness Task Force, which is charged with assessing the state of the nation’s disaster preparedness and making recommendations to the Secretary about ways to build resiliency in U.S. communities. The Task Force will conduct regular meetings and is to deliver its recommendations in September. Other city officials on the Task Force include New York City Fire Commissioner, Boston Police Commissioner, Honolulu Chief of Emergency Medical Services, Chicago Chief of Staff, and Nashville Assistant Public Works Director.

Steve Benjamin was elected as the next mayor of Columbia (SC) April 20, becoming the city's first new leader in 20 years.

Benjamin becomes the first African-American mayor in Columbia's history. He succeeds Bob Coble, who announced last fall that he would not seek another term. Coble has been mayor since 1990.

"We made history today, not because of race. I stand on the broad shoulders of so many, so many who came before us. But we made history because we responded to a message of unity, of hope, and of promise. We are one city. We are one Columbia," Benjamin said.

Benjamin is a lawyer and lobbyist, and also the former head of the State Department of Probation, Pardon, and Parole. He will take office in July 1.