3 top Chicago officials stepping down, days after Mayor Johnson warned of City Hall firings
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Days after Mayor Brandon Johnson warned that he would be firing holdovers from prior administrations, three top city leaders announced they are stepping down.
Johnson's office announced Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee will be retiring on April 15, while Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) Executive Director Jose Tirado "will be transitioning out of his position," without providing a specific departure date.
Meantime, Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten also announced her resignation on Wednesday.
Rhee, who was appointed to her post in 2018 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, oversaw the city's airports, and was leading an $8.5 billion renovation of O'Hare International Airport, including the addition of a new Global Germinal to replace the existing Terminal 2.
"Throughout her decades-long career, Commissioner Rhee embodied the best of public service, and she has left an indelible mark on our airports and our city," Johnson said in a statement on Rhee's retirement.
Johnson appointed Tirado as head of OEMC after taking office in 2023. Prior to that, he'd served as the agency's top deputy. He'd also spent more than 23 years with the Chicago Police Department before joining OEMC in 2022, rising to chief of the counterterrorism bureau.
Johnson praised Tirado for helping oversee reductions in crime across the city, and for taking the lead on the city's hosting of the Democratic National Convention last August.
"I wish him all the best in this next chapter as we look forward to building upon the progress we have made together," Johnson said.
However, days earlier, Johnson had warned that he would be firing some top city leaders while speaking at a "Faith in Government" initiative at a South Side church, where he told the audience he wished he "would have cleaned house faster" after taking office in 2023.
The mayor said he "was trying to show Godly presentation" that he could work with holdovers from previous mayoral administration when he took office, and show that people "don't have to agree with me 100% to work within my administration."
But the mayor said, in hindsight, "I wouldn't have done that."
"If you ain't with us, you just gotta go. So now I'm in a position now where I'll be making some decisions in the days to come, because playing nice with other people who ain't about us, it's just a waste of exercise," he said. "So there's a whole bunch of people like, 'Oh, shoot. Who's about to get fired?' Well, you about to find out. Stay tuned."
A source said Tirado submitted his resignation earlier this year, and will be taking a job with the Cook County State's Attorney's office. The State's Attorney's office has confirmed Tirado accepted a job offer there last month.
Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said in a statement that she was glad to have Tirado aboard:
"Jose Tirado is exactly the kind of accomplished and highly dedicated public servant we are recruiting to help rebuild the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. I was overjoyed when he accepted our job offer last month, and appreciated his professionalism in wanting to take appropriate time to transition responsibilities from OEMC. I am looking forward to Jose putting his substantial law enforcement and public safety background to work leading our gun crimes investigations unit, which will be so critical to our efforts to get machineguns, 'switches,' ghost guns, and other dangerous illegal firearms off the street. Jose's years of experience will prove to be an invaluable asset in our efforts to make Cook County safer and stronger."
This suggests his departure might not be connected to the mayor's threatened firings.
In a statement provided by Johnson's office, Tirado thanked his staff at OEMC, as well as the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department for their commitment to public safety.
"I especially want to thank the 911 and 311 operators at OEMC, who are the first line of response to every public safety incident called into the City of Chicago. The importance of the work that they do cannot be highlighted enough," he said.
Rhee also thanked her colleagues and staff at the city's airports "for their incredible dedication to public service."
"I am eternally grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me and am extremely proud of the work that's been accomplished to move our City and our airports forward," she said in a statement provided by the mayor's office.
Johnson has yet to comment on Kersten's resignation.
Kersten, who oversaw the city agency that investigates shootings by Chicago police officers and allegations of police misconduct, said in a statement that "it has been a privilege to lead this agency in the service of all Chicagoans and I am incredibly proud of the transformative work that has been accomplished during my tenure."
