ELMWOOD, La. - Jefferson Parish President John Young has tapped a former federal prosecutor to serve as his chief operating officer and the Covington city attorney as his parish attorney, he announced Wednesday, as he works to rebuild confidence in a parish government rocked by scandal.
Young named his executive staff at a press conference at the Yenni Building Wednesday morning.
Chris Cox, a formerassistant U.S. Attorney andJefferson Parish prosecutor, will serve as chief operating officer.He takes over an office that has been run by interim managersin recent months, following the departure of Tim Whitmer, amidthe federal probe into his parish work and private business dealings during the administrations of former parish presidents Aaron Broussard and Tim Coulon.
Richard Hart, atop official withthe state Dept. of Agriculture and retired state police lieutenant,will be deputy chief operating officer, Young announced.
Deborah Foshee, currentlythe city attorney for Covington, will take over as parish attorney, replacing interim parish attorney Peggy Barton.Barton took over the office when Tom Wilkinson resigned amid scandal earlier this year.
Former TV anchor Kriss Fairbairn will serve as parish spokeswoman, Young announced, and TV reporter Jennifer Van Vrancken will join the parish administration asone ofYoung's fivechief administrative assistants, as liaison to the film industry.
Van Vranckenreplaces Cherreen Gegenheimer, who was the subject of a WWL-TV investigative report on parish travel expenses earlier this month. Gegenheimer and Tony DiGerolamo were two chief administrative assistants whom Young elected not to retain from the previous administration.
'I am honored to have people of this caliber who are not only willing to serve, but are enthusiastic to do so,'Young said. 'We have a lot of quality individuals in JeffersonParish and a lot of people I will reappoint.'
In fact,twomembers of Young's administrative team announced Wednesday are holdovers from previous parish presidents, including Darryl Ward, who will continue toserve as chief administrative assistant, and Kazem Alikhani, who will serve as public works director. He previously worked as interim chief operatingofficer and parishdrainage director.
Also, Royce Blanchard, whoworked as a council aide to Young, will become achief administrative assistant, it was announced Wednesday.
