Garza announces new hires, including Austin Energy head

On Friday, interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced several leadership appointments including, significantly, Bob Kahn as Austin Energy’s general manager. According to a news release about the appointment, “Kahn is a respected leader in the utility industry, currently serving as the General Manager of the Texas Municipal Power Agency. He was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and prior to that served as the Deputy General Manager, General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Services at Austin Energy.” His first day will be July 3. “I’m very excited to return to Austin Energy and look forward to working with the community and the hardworking, dedicated staff at Austin Energy to accomplish the City Council’s goals,” Kahn said in a statement. Garza also announced that Austin Resource Recovery Director Ken Snipes will be moving to head the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. José Roig will make his interim position as head of the Development Services Department official. And Michele Middlebrook-Gonzalez will join the city as its first chief strategic communications & external relations officer from her current position as a communications consultant with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Finally, Garza announced that Economic Development Department Assistant Director David Gray “will begin a special assignment focused on the broad spectrum of programs, policies and funding the City dedicates to addressing homelessness” in collaboration with the Homeless Strategy Office and other departments working on the issue.