Mayor-elect Welch announces senior administration members
January 5, 2022 - St. Petersburg Mayor-elect Ken Welch announced several key members of his administration Wednesday. Stephanie Owens, Welch’s transition director and campaign manager, will serve as deputy mayor and chief of policy. Owens has over 20 years of public policy experience, including as an appointee of former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. In addition to senior positions in the White House and Department of Health and Human Services, Owens has also worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Commerce. Janelle Irwin Taylor will serve as director of communications, and Tom Greene was named the interim city administrator. Greene is the current assistant city administrator, a position he has held under Mayor Rick Kriseman since 2018. Irwin Taylor is the senior editor for Florida Politics and previously worked with the Tampa Bay Business Journal and WMNF Community Radio. Doyle Walsh will serve as Welch’s senior adviser. Walsh previously served as an aide to County Commissioner Janet Long.