SUBMITTED
Mayor Justin M. Bibb has appointed Delanté Spencer Thomas, Esq. as the City’s Chief Ethics Officer and Assistant Director of Law, Tyson T. Mitchell, JD/LL.M as Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) and Karen Dettmer as Senior Strategist for Lead.
As the City’s first-ever Chief Ethics Officer, Delanté Spencer Thomas will be responsible for actively promoting and maintaining a strong culture of ethics awareness and compliance within the Executive Branch of city government and will serve as chief ethics advisor to the Mayor and the Law Director.
He will also guide all employees and members of boards and commissions that report to the Mayor on ethics and conflicts of interest, serve as the liaison between the City and the Ohio Ethics Commission and develop and proactively train elected City officials and City employees on compliance with ethics laws and ethical conduct.
“I welcome the appointment of the city’s first Chief Ethics Officer,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “This role is key to advancing our mission of a modern, responsive and transparent City Hall. Delanté’s leadership and expertise will help us make sure we are working at the highest standards of accountability and integrity.”
The City’s new OEO Director, Tyson Mitchell, is responsible for administering, monitoring, and enforcing overall contract compliance goals and requirements and serves as an advocate for business inclusion and resident employment within the community. Reporting to the Mayor and the Chief Legal Officer, Tyson will develop and implement programs that increase opportunities for equity and inclusion in City contracting and providing wealth-building opportunities to residents.
As the new Senior Strategist for the Lead Safe Program, Karen Dettmer will work with city departments, external partners, and community members to prevent lead exposure and address the impact of such exposure with a particular focus on children, including programming, services, and investments related to primary prevention and early intervention of lead exposure. Karen has an interdepartmental purview and will convene and coordinate leadership from departments of Building and Housing, Public Health, Community Development, and other entities and personnel within the City on matters related to lead exposure.
“We continue to focus on filling key positions to reimagine how city hall operates, break down silos and better connect departments,” Mayor Bibb said. “We have great new talent in both Tyson and Karen and I am looking forward to working with them toward our vision for a more equitable and healthier Cleveland.”