A handful of Richmond officials are getting permanent appointments to government roles as another high-ranking official departs City Hall, according to a staffing announcement released Thursday.

Traci DeShazor, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for human services, is resigning at the end of March, the city announced, creating a vacancy in an upper management role that focuses on aging and disability issues, homelessness and engagement with immigrants and refugees.

“Traci's tireless advocacy for our most vulnerable residents has made Richmond a more equitable city," Interim Chief Administrative Officer Sabrina Joy-Hogg said in the city’s news release. "Her leadership in human services has created lasting positive change that will benefit Richmond families for years to come.”

Mayor Danny Avula has not yet named a permanent chief administrative officer, which will be one the new mayor’s most important hires. But the staffing moves announced Thursday solidified other key City Hall positions.

Ross Catrow, the former author of the popular Good Morning, RVA newsletter, will serve as director of the office of strategic communications. He was hired as a deputy director in that office last year and previously served as director of communications for the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. 

Avula has said his administration is looking to overhaul how the city communicates, and Catrow will take on those duties after a rocky year for the communications office in 2024. Former city spokesperson Petula Burks resigned from the job last summer in the wake of news articles about her city-issued credit card being suspended and a lawsuit filed against the city by the city’s former Freedom of Information Act officer Connie Clay, who claims she was retaliated against for pointing out the city wasn’t complying with transparency laws.

Maggie Anderson, who previously served as chief of staff to former Mayor Levar Stoney, is getting a new role as director of the city's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, which handles the city's interactions with the General Assembly and state and federal agencies. A former aide to U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Anderson also serves as Richmond's first liaison to the LGBTQ+ community.

The head of the city’s newly formed Department of General Services will be Gail Johnson, who has worked in city government for more than two decades and most recently served as senior deputy director for the Department of Public Works. The Department of General Services handles the city’s real estate, vehicle fleet and parking functions.

Two other officials who had been serving in temporary capacities will continue doing what they’ve been doing on a permanent basis.

Merrick Malone will serve as director of the Department of Housing and Community Development. After previously working in real estate and public administration in Washington, D.C., Malone is now taking a leading role in Richmond’s efforts to address housing affordability, which city officials have identified as a top priority.

The city also re-upped the announcement that former state water official Scott Morris will be the permanent director of the Department of Public Utilities. Morris joined the city in the aftermath of the early January water crisis, and has played a prominent role in the city’s efforts to shore up the water treatment plant and explain what went wrong in January. A licensed engineer, Morris previously served as director of water at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

"Transforming City Hall into an organization residents can rely on requires leaders who bring both expertise and passion to their roles," Avula said in the city release. “I’m thrilled to welcome these leaders—who do just that—to the team.”