Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki today shuffled key departmental staff members in order to bring about management changes for two City Departments, according to a statement released by the Mayor’s Spokesman John Rago.
Rago said the Mayor has asked Jeff Starkey to return to the Department of Licenses and Inspections as Commissioner, and he has named Kelly Williams as Deputy Commissioner of Public Works where she’ll serve as Acting Commissioner.
“Jeff and Kelly are dedicated employees who are committed to creating a more efficiently run government with far better service delivery to the public,” said Mayor Purzycki. “Our Administration’s goal is for City employees to strive for excellence each day and to make the public’s interactions with City government effective and pleasant. I am asking these two managers to improve the operations of two of our most important departments when it comes to serving the public.”
Starkey, who served as L&I Commissioner for 13 years under former Mayor James Baker, has been the City’s Public Works Commissioner for the past three and a half years. He began his government career in 1982 as a Plans Examiner and Engineer with L&I and is familiar with all aspects of the Department. Starkey helped to establish the City’s Instant Ticketing Program as well as Wilmington’s revised Vacant Property Registration Program, both of which have become national models for other cities, according to Rago.
Starkey will replace Leo Lynch, the Deputy Commissioner of Licenses and Inspections who has been the acting Commissioner since Starkey moved up to the Public Works position.
Williams has been the Special Assistant to the Public Works Commissioner since 2012 as an independent contractor, and prior to that was an Assistant Solicitor in the City’s Law Department for two years. She has been intimately involved in the operations of the Public Works Department for several years including setting rates for water, sewer and storm water utilities, managing the trash and recycling collections process, and promoting green infrastructure efforts and other environmentally-related projects.
Mayor Purzycki said the new departmental assignments for Jeff and Kelly will become effective on Monday, August 28.
