Chicago mayor fills key roles for public safety, transportation after city hall shakeup

CHICAGO - Mayor Brandon Johnson made moves to fill out key positions in his cabinet on Wednesday morning, including the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation and the deputy mayor of community safety.

What we know:

Johnson announced William Cheaks, Jr. will serve as the head of CDOT. He last served as the managing deputy commissioner at the Department of Water Management. 

If approved, Cheaks will replace Craig Turner, who had been serving as acting commissioner since the departure of Tom Carney in July 2025.

Johnson touted Cheaks' four decades of experience in managing large-scale public infrastructure.

Chicago City Council will have to vote on Cheaks' appointment before it is made official.

Garien Gatewood speaks on his firing | The Chicago Report

Fox Chicago's Paris Schutz talks about the surprising shakeup in Mayor Brandon Johnson's office as well as talking to Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy on their upcoming race.

Emmanuel Andrade has been tapped to become the next deputy mayor of community safety. Andrade replaces Garien Gatewood, who was fired last month. 

Gatewood said he was given no reason for the sudden termination other than they wanted to go in a different direction.

"I think there's a culture in this office where when you work to hold people accountable, you become a target. And I am not the first person to say that. That is out in the public sphere. I am not surprised that this was the route to go. I am at peace," Gatewood told Fox Chicago. "My work cannot be questioned. What we were able to deliver cannot be questioned."

Andrade most recently served as a senior member of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.

Allison Novelo was appointed to serve as press secretary for Johnson. She will replace Cassio Mendoza, who left the position in February to become deputy press secretary for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Other appointees Johnson announced today included:

• Max Budovitch as deputy mayor for Business, Economic, and Neighborhood Development
• Militza M. Pagán as deputy mayor for Labor Relations
• Jonah Anderson as first deputy mayor for Health and Human Services
• Brian Tyler as first deputy for Business, Economic, and Neighborhood Development
• Marissa Arrez as deputy chief of External Affairs
• Joshua Smyser-De Leon as deputy director of City Council Intergovernmental Affairs

The appointments come after former city human relations commissioner Nancy Andrade resigned from her post last month amid a spat over a report on antisemitism she was preparing.

Ex-Chicago official’s emails accuse mayor’s staff of ‘lies’ and ‘hostile work environment’

Emails claim officials tried to dilute findings, restrict public testimony, and engaged in "lies," threats and a smear campaign.

The complaints center around a report on antisemitism that Andrade was leading — responding to data showing a rise in antisemitism hate crimes across the city. Andrade accused the mayor's team of trying to micromanage the process and dilute the report.

She also called the mayor's team's conduct "egregious, shameful, disturbing, hostile, bullying, utterly unethical and unprofessional. The hostile workplace allegations are allegations that I should be making against yourself, the Chief Equity Officer and Cristina Pacione Zayas, the Chief of Staff."