UPDATE: Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher is making the first appointments to her new administration – with some big changes, and some names staying the same.
Fire Chief Brandon Blough confirms that he is retiring after meeting Monday with the new mayor. He will be replaced by current fire department division chief Ed Canny.
Other changes include 11-year city employee Ramona Metzger being named budget director – Dave Fuchs being named director of public works, replacing Nate Bottom, who has been named chief city engineer – and Haley Wilson, who will start later this month as director of communications.
Among those staying in their jobs are Police Chief Ken Scarlette, Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl, and CWLP chief utilities engineer Doug Brown.
In addition, Val Yazell will serve as head of planning and economic development on an interim basis. She had worked in that role under former Mayor Jim Langfelder, until he fired her in 2021.
ORIGINAL: The first changes are coming to Springfield city government as new Mayor Misty Buscher takes over.
Fire Chief Brandon Blough confirms that he has decided to retire following a meeting Monday with the mayor.
And in a Facebook post, Haley Wilson announced that she will be the Director of Communications for the Buscher administration. Wilson’s Facebook page says she had most recently worked at the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies.
More announcements of new City Hall appointments are expected in the coming days.
