Mayor-Elect Tom Arceneaux names interim CAO, finance director & city attorney

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - The newly elected mayor of Shreveport has announced three interim members of his staff.

Arceneaux’s selections for interim CAO, interim finance director, and interim city attorney were announced at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning (Dec. 20). A news conference was held at Arceneaux’s campaign office, located at 6030 Line Ave., to make the announcement.

[Mayor-Elect Tom Arceneaux announces transition team]

To serve as interim CAO, which Arceneaux described as the “most important” position in the city, the mayor-elect has chosen Tom Dark. He says Dark has been retired for 14 years, but agreed to come out of retirement to serve in this interim role. Dark has been a CAO and city employee previously. A nationwide search will begin “day one” for a permanent CAO, Arceneaux says.

“This will allow us to hit the ground running with experienced people,” Arceneaux said.

For interim finance director, Arceneaux has chosen Sherricka Fields Jones, who also has experience as a former city employee and CAO. Arceneaux says he will be doing away with the position of CFO, and will instead look to hire a permanent finance director. The city council will have to approve all permanent positions.

Mayor-Elect Arceneaux also unexpectedly announced a third appointment. Zelda Tucker will serve as the interim city attorney. Arceneaux says she will do this on a “really, really, really” short-term basis. Tucker previously served as the president of the Shreveport Bar Association.

When asked if any of his interim appointments will potentially serve permanently, Arceneaux replied that Dark will definitely not be permanent. Fields Jones said she’ll be taking it day-by-day.

During the news conference, Arceneaux also addressed a few questions about the city’s infrastructure and the Real Time Crime Center, which he says he intends to move under the supervision of the Shreveport Police Department. As far as the extreme cold weather headed into the area later in the week, Arceneaux said there are no concrete plans in place about possible damage to infrastructure, but that the period of below-freezing temperatures should be rather short before things warm up again, and hopefully won’t result in any permanent damage.

“We keep praying for the Barksdale Bubble,” the mayor-elect joked.

Arceneaux says he plans to meet with Mayor Adrian Perkins later this week, and that he has been “extremely helpful” in the transition.

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