Mayor John Peyton today announced the appointment of Kerri Stewart as the new Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jacksonville.   Stewart will replace departing CAO Alan Mosley and will begin taking over responsibilities immediately.

“In her time with this administration, Kerri has served the community in countless ways and in each position she has demonstrated dedicated service and outstanding leadership,” said Mayor Peyton.  “I am confident that Kerri will do a tremendous job in this role thanks to her in-depth knowledge of the many facets of city government and great working relationships with the members of our community.”

Most recently, Stewart served as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, a position she has held since October 2007.  In this capacity, she has had oversight of day-to-day operations of city government and special projects such as The Jacksonville Journey initiative, Project New Ground, and the city’s administration of federal stimulus dollars from the President’s Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Since joining the Mayor’s administration as Policy Director in July 2003, she has worked in various capacities in the Mayor’s Office and throughout the government. 

In 2005, Stewart led a citywide organizational effectiveness review, working to bring best business practices to city government and improve stewardship of the taxpayers’ money which led to the formation of the Mayor’s Office of Performance, Audit and Management Accountability.

Also in 2005, Stewart was appointed as the director of the City’s Housing and Neighborhoods Department, and managed the Housing Services, Community Development, Neighborhood Services and Property Safety/Code Enforcement Divisions.

She joined the Mayor’s staff in July 2003, as Policy Director in the Mayor’s Office focusing on staff management and City Council relationships, after serving on his transition team.

Prior to joining the City of Jacksonville, Stewart served as project manager for Fidelity Information Services, Inc. In addition, she held a key role on the program management team at Alltel Corp. working on a $78 million merger of financial systems in the mortgage industry in Leeds, England.

Stewart earned her bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Florida. She serves as a board member of The Bridge of Northeast Florida, Neighborhood Lending Partners and advisory committee member of the Community Rehabilitation Center.  She is also a member of Leadership Jacksonville and was a winner of a 2009 Women of Influence award.