Mayor-elect Richard Berry picked three new department directors on Monday, including the re-hiring of retired city Treasurer Lou Hoffman.

Hoffman, who served as treasurer from 1987-2006, will be Berry's director of finance and administrative services. Hoffman supported Richard Romero's campaign for mayor, but his experience and knowledge of city finances was apparently too much for Berry to pass up.

Berry announced that Deborah Stover will take over as planning director and that John Soladay will serve as director of solid waste.

Stover has been a senior policy analyst for the City Council on planning and urban design. Soladay has been been running the city Environmental Health Department.

Berry also announced three acting department heads: Mary Lou Leonard will move from deputy director to acting director in environmental health, Randy Autio will continue as city clerk for now and Bob White will continue as city attorney for now.

News releases below:

City of Albuquerque Department of Planning Director Selected

ALBUQUERQUE, NM- November 23, 2009- Mayor-elect Richard J. Berry selected Deborah Stover as Director of the Department of Planning for the City of Albuquerque.

"Debbie brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this department," said Berry.  "With work in her field dating back three decades, she is the kind of person I wanted for this department."

Stover currently serves as a senior policy analyst working closely with Albuquerque's City Council on planning and urban designs.  Stover has worked in the Planning Department as Manager of the Advance Planning and Urban Design Division.  As a manager with the Office of the State Engineer, Stover developed and managed the drought planning and mitigation activities for New Mexico.  Stover's work through the 1980's and 1990's with the City of Albuquerque helped prepare her to take the lead in the Planning Department under Berry's Administration.

"I'm honored Mayor-elect Berry trusts me to lead this department,' said Stover.  "Albuquerque has come so far in the last 30 years.  As I look around the city, I know there is still more to do and I look forward to the upcoming challenges."

Stover earned her Master of Architecture from the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning.  She also earned her Bachelor of Arts from UNM, majoring in geography.

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Director of Finance and Administrative Services

for City of Albuquerque Selected

ALBUQUERQUE, NM- November 23, 2009-- Mayor-elect Richard J. Berry selected Lou Hoffman to serve as Finance and Administrative Services Department Director.

"Lou brings exactly what I want for this department.  He has three decades worth of experience in finance management and is considered to be an expert in this field," said Berry.  "Lou will help guide our city into a better financial situation."

Hoffman served as the Treasurer for the City of Albuquerque from 1987-2006.  For a period of time Hoffman served as Acting Director of Finances.  Hoffman has also worked as a financial analyst and as an operations research manager for the City of Albuquerque.

"I am honored to serve the Berry Administration and Albuquerque citizens.  Every city in America is going through tough economic times and I'm committed to helping Mayor-elect Berry find solutions that work for Albuquerque," said Hoffman.

Hoffman earned a Masters in Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico.  Hoffman also served as Chairman of the Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) board in 2000-2001.

He is also a professional registered engineer.

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Mayor-Elect Berry Appoints Veteran Public Servant to Head Solid Waste Department

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - November 23, 2009 - Mayor-elect Richard J. Berry announced today that he is appointing John Soladay as Director of the Solid Waste Department.

Soladay has been the Director of the city's Environmental Health Department for the past two years and has been in public service for 34 years. He started his career in Southern California were he spent 25 years with the City of Redondo Beach, retiring as the Public Works Director in the late 1990s.

"John is the obvious choice to head the city's Solid Waste Department," Berry said. "He has a wealth of knowledge on how government works and how it can best serve its citizens."

Since coming to the City of Albuquerque, Soladay has served as the Associate Director of the Department of Municipal Development, managing the facilities and energy divisions. He was also the Sustainability Officer in the Mayor's Office working on the Albuquerque Green Initiative.

"I am very thrilled to be offered this opportunity and look forward to the challenges a head and accomplish the goals of the Berry Administration," said Soladay.

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City Clerk, City Attorney, and Environmental Health Decisions

ALBUQUERQUE, NM- November 23, 2009- Mayor-elect Richard J Berry names Acting Director for the Environmental Health Department and announces decision for City Clerk and City Attorney.

Department of Environmental Health
Mary Lou Leonard, who currently serves as Deputy Director for the Environmental Health Department, will serve as Acting Director for this department.

City Clerk
Randy Autio will remain beyond December 1, 2009 serving as Interim City Clerk.  The City Charter has changed which requires the city to put out a competitive bid for this position.  The process will begin on the first day of the Berry Administration.

City Attorney
Bob White will remain beyond December 1, 2009 serving as the City Attorney.  The City Charter has changed which requires the city to put out a competitive bid for this position.  The process will begin on the first day of the Berry Administration.