Mayor Ken Welch Appoints 4 To Key Roles In St. Pete Administration

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Following the recent loss of two key members of his administration, Mayor Ken Welch announced four new appointments Wednesday, according to a news release.

Earlier this month, Deputy Mayor Stephanie Owens resigned after being accuses of bullying and the position was eliminated.

Communications Director Janelle Irwin Taylor stepped down ahead of this Sept. 1 after alleging that Owens, her direct supervisor, created a hostile work environment.

Related Stories:

• Deputy Mayor Position Eliminated After Resignations: St. Pete Mayor
• Deputy Mayor Accused Of Bullying Resigns: St. Petersburg

In the wake of these resignations, Welch made the following hires and promotions:

• Interim chief of staff: Jordan “Doyle” Walsh, an eight-year veteran of local government in the Tampa Bay area. He served as a senior advisor to Welch and as an aide to Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long.
• Managing director for communications and community engagement: Alizza Punzalan-Randle, a nonprofit executive for more than two decades. Most recently, she served as chief development officer for St. Pete Free Clinic.
• Public information officer: Erica Riggins, a 20-year news veteran, award-winning journalist, and morning anchor on Spectrum Bay News 9.
• Director of stakeholder and community engagement: Shelly Loos, a veteran stakeholder and engagement executive with experience at the national, state and local levels. She worked as vice president of marketing for a South Florida-based technology company for 11 years before coming to St. Petersburg.

“I’m incredibly excited to announce these impactful appointments to our administration. Their decades of work in the community will prove invaluable as we continue our mission towards inclusive progress,” Welch said in a statement.

He added, “Collaborating with the community and key stakeholders is imperative to ensuring transparency and accountability at all levels of this administration. I look forward to working alongside our current and new team members to serve the people of our great city, continuing our partnership to build the St. Petersburg of the future while honoring those who were so instrumental in shaping our past.”