Cadena-Mitchell to leave City Hall to complete divinity degree

Kurt Cadena-Mitchell, chief of staff to Council Member Alison Alter, will leave the District 10 office later this month to complete his Master of Divinity work to become a hospice chaplain. Alter presented Cadena-Mitchell with a Distinguished Service Award on Thursday in appreciation of his service to the city, which started in 2017. “Kurt was my first hire and has been an invaluable adviser and dear friend for seven and a half years,” Alter said. A social worker, Cadena-Mitchell worked for the Texas Department of State Health and Human Services Commission prior to joining Alter’s office. He also was an active leader with Austin Interfaith and a frequent voice at City Council meetings as an advocate for low-income residents. Cadena-Mitchell will receive his master’s from the Earlham School of Religion, a Quaker seminary in Indiana.

In other Council staff news, Thomas McGregor, chief of staff to Council Member Mackenzie Kelly, has left City Hall to pursue new adventures. Kelly announced his departure from the dais last month, thanking him for his service and leadership in the District 6 office.