Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s first year as mayor shook up the city’s leadership with dozens of new hires and appointments across different city departments.

This was a part of Whitmire's promise to change the city's leadership after criticizing what he viewed as inefficiencies from former Mayor Sylvester Turner's administration's top-level leadership.

January

Houston First Corporation: Venture capital executive Jay Zeidman was appointed as board chair of Houston First Corporation, a local government corporation responsible for the city’s convention and performing arts facilities, as well as attracting tourists and special events to the city, on Jan. 4. Zeidman served on the board of Houston First since 2017 and played a role in helping secure the 2028 Republican National Convention to Houston. Zeidman succeeds outgoing Chair David Mincberg, who served in the role since 2016.

Houston's Department of Finance: Melissa Dubowski was hired as the city's interim finance director on Jan. 5, taking over after Will Jones resigned for a position in the Controller's Office. Dubowski first joined the department in 2014 and was later the deputy finance director in 2019, where she oversaw existing and prospective debt citywide and forecasts the city's property and sales tax collections.

February

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County board chair:Elizabeth Gonzales Brock was appointed as METRO's board chair on Feb. 13 and replaced Sanjay Ramabhadran, whose term had expired. Brock is the first Hispanic woman to chair the department. Brock is also the vice president of utility infrastructure planning and policy at CenterPoint Energy, where she supports the company's capital planning needs. Brock has also been a member of the board of Houston First Corporation since 2017.

Housing and Community Development Department: Mike C. Nichols, the former president and chief executive office of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, was appointed as the director of the Housing and Community Development Department on Feb. 29. Nichols succeeds Keith Bynam, who retired after 32 years working in the department. The housing department focuses on improving opportunities for all Houstonians to access safe homes they can afford in communities where they can thrive. When he was the coalition's president, he was credited with building robust financial sustainability and compliance programs.

Houston Airport System: Jim Szczesniak was appointed as the the new director of aviation for the Houston Airport System on Feb. 28. The department manages George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport, William Hobby Airport and Ellington Field. Szczesniak has more than two decades of management experience in both the public and private sectors, and previously served as the airport director for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska. He replaced Mario Diaz after he stepped down.

March:

Economic Development: Gwendolyn Tillotson-Bell was appointed as Houston's chief economic development officer on March 26 after Andy Icken resigned in early March. Tillotson-Bell is responsible for the administration and relationship management of all tax increment investment zones, or TIRZs, as well as promoting economic growth and bringing businesses to Houston. She joined the city 17 years ago while working as the deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, where she worked on projects such as the Energy Corridor, Meow Wolf and the East End Maker Hub.

April:

Department of Neighborhoods: Herbert Sims was promoted as director of the department on April 24, after serving as the interim director since February. He replaced TaKasha Francis, who resigned to run as county judge of the 152nd Civil District Court. Sims previously worked for the city for two decades in several leadership and management roles before being promoted to DON's assistant director, responsible for preparing and monitoring the department's annual budget and procurement. The Department of Neighborhoods helps to improve the quality of life in Houston neighborhoods through people-focused programs and strong community partnerships.

METRO board members: On April 10, Whitmire replaced three of METRO's board members. Christopher McMillan, Kathy Han and T. Leon Preston joined Metro's board of directors, replacing Lex Frieden, Troi Taylor and Diann Lewter.

May:

Houston First Corporation board members: Whitmire appointed four new board members for Houston First Corporation on May 8. The new board members include Wea H. Lee, Nicki Keenan, Shareen Larmond and Roxann Neumann. Their terms expire on Dec. 31, 2026.

July:

Planning and Development Department: Vonn Tran was appointed as the city's planning and development director on July 5. Tran has over 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Tran oversees the implementation of ordinances that affect development and neighborhoods.

Houston Fire Department:Thomas Muñoz was appointed as the chief of the Houston Fire Department on July 26, replacing Chief Samuel Peña. Muñoz served as the city's emergency management coordinator and the acting director for the Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. He is also a member of FEMA's National Advisory Council and has more than 29 years of experience as a first responder and emergency manager.

Office of Emergency Management: Brian Mason was hired as the city's director and emergency management coordinator for Houston’s Office of Emergency Management in July 26, replacing Thomas Muñoz. The Office of Emergency Management supports Houston's 671 miles of service area and 2.3 million people. Mason also serves as the executive director for Transtar, the southeast Texas region’s transportation management and emergency management center. Mason has previously led response and recovery for weather disasters such as Mason led response and recovery for the May 16 derecho and Hurricane Beryl.

August:

Public Safety and Homeland Security: Larry Satterwhite, former Houston Police Department assistant chief and commander, was appointed the director of the Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Satterwhite has 34 years in law enforcement. As director, he is responsible for preparing, protecting and responding to man-made and natural disasters or major emergencies.

Houston Police Department:Former Katy Police Chief J. Noe Diaz was appointed as Houston's Chief of Police on Aug. 14, replacing Troy Finner who resigned in May amid suspended cases investigations. Diaz started off as a Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer in 1987 until 1994, when he joined the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office. In 2008, Chief Diaz was appointed a Texas Ranger, and then returned to Houston where he was assigned as the Public Corruption Ranger for the Greater Houston Area for more than 10 years and worked on several high-profile public corruption investigations.

Houston Public Library: Sandy Gaw was appointed as the new Houston Public Library Director on Aug. 28. Gaw has previously worked as a teacher for Houston ISD for 31 years. Gaw will oversee the operations of all city libraries, focusing on enhancing community engagement and expanding bilingual and multicultural programs.

November:

Houston Public Works: Randy Macchi was appointed as the director of Houston Public Works on Nov. 20. Macchi is a nonengineer and has recently served as chief operating officer of Houston Public Works, a position he held since 2023. Whitmire changed the city's code of ordinance that previously required the executive officer to be a registered professional engineer in Texas to allow Macchi to be the director.

METRO board: Angel Ponce was appointed to the METRO board of directors on Nov. 6. Ponce brings over 15 years of experience in advocating for individuals with disabilities and historically underrepresented groups. He has helped various special projects, such as the Annual Disability Emergency Preparedness Workshop, the Houston Disability Celebration and the Annual Reel Abilities Art and Film Festival. Ponce is co-founder of the National Coalition for Latinxs with Disabilities.

Harris County-Houston Sports Authority chair: Whitmire appointed Juan C. Garcia as chair of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority on Nov. 6, following the departure of former Chair J. Kent Friedman in October. The organization was created in 1997 to finance, maintain and build sports venues in Houston, and since then, has expanded to also promote the region for sports-related events.

METRO police chief: Ban Tien was appointed as METRO police chief in November, taking over former Chief Vera Bumpers. He is the first Asian American to hold this role, and manages the department that patrol area streets, roadways and METRO facilities.