Denver Mayor Mike Johnston this week appointed a new chief operating officer and picked three new members to his senior leadership team.

Johnston appointed Janel Forde as the city’s new chief operating officer, which the mayor’s office said is a new and “redesigned” position.

“We have created the role of chief operating officer to ensure we are aligning the work of the city across our diverse agencies and priorities and delivering world class constituent services,” Johnston said.

In a statement, the mayor’s office said Forde will help “deliver on mayor Johnston’s ambitious vision for Denver by building operational structure needed to enhance the delivery of critical constituent services and implement the mayor’s programmatic goals for the city.” 

Johnston’s office said the mayor wants to foster cross-departmental coordination, which Forde will facilitate.

Forde currently serves as a partner and associate director with the Boston Consulting Group, where she supports clients on core government operations, logistics, and large-scale change, the mayor’s office said.

Forde previously served in leadership roles for the City of Chicago – as  deputy commissioner in the city’s fleet and facility management, as well as chief operating officer for former mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“Janel’s stellar experience in leading large public sector and private sector organizations makes her just the right person to help us make Denver vibrant, affordable and safe,” Johnston said.

Forde’s day-to-day duties is set to begin Sept. 5.

In addition to a new COO, Johnston appointed Esther Leach, Angela Casias and Adam Burg to his senior leadership team.

Leach, who currently serves as the vice president of development and fundraising with the Downtown Denver Partnership, will become Johnston’s senior advisor on community partnerships. In this role, she will serve as a liaison between the mayor’s office and business, arts, nonprofit, and other groups. She will also overseee Denver’s boards and commissions.

Casias, who is currently the senior vice president of community and government partnerships at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, will serve as legislative director, managing city council engagement and collaboration with city officials and department heads to “ensure successful implementation of the mayor’s key initiatives,” the mayors office said.

Burg, who serves as the vice president of government affairs for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, will serve as the city’s federal and state affairs director, in charge of “strengthening the city’s partnerships” with leaders at state and federal levels, the mayor’s office said.

“These three individuals bring so much to the table to support our legislative and community efforts,” Johnston said. “Adam, Angela and Esther will hit the ground running as they arrive at our office equipped with the strong relationships they’ve built throughout Denver.”