Today, Mayor-Elect Justin Bibb has named Mark Griffin as the Chief Legal Counsel, Sarah Johnson to Chief Communications Officer, Paul Patton as Chief Human Resources Officer and Ryan Puente to the post of Chief Government Affairs Officer. They will take the official oath of office on January 3^rd and begin working immediately after. 

“This is an exciting time for our City and I am very pleased with the team we are building to lead Cleveland. These top-level professionals all have exceptional qualifications, but even more importantly, they share our values of an inclusive, open, modern city hall that puts people first,” comments Mayor-Elect Bibb. 

The appointments reflect shifts in the Office of the Mayor’s current organizational structure, elevating Human Resources to a cabinet-level position, and separating the role of Chief of Communications and Chief of Government Affairs to prioritize cultural change, communications, and advocacy at the local, state and federal level, respectively.  

Johnson was most recently team leader of marketing, communications and media relations strategy for Greater Cleveland Partnership, the nation's largest metropolitan chamber of commerce.  She has also held positions at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Johnson has an MBA with a specialization in healthcare administration from Cleveland State University and Bachelor of Arts degree in speech pathology from Loyola University in Maryland. 

Mark D. Griffin has served as Cuyahoga County’s Inspector General and Chief Ethics Officer since 2015.  As County Inspector General, Griffin leads a team of attorneys, auditors, data analysts and former law enforcement officers who are responsible for investigating waste, fraud and abuse in the County. Griffin also led, managed, and/or oversaw internal investigations of complaints regarding elected officials, employees and board member behavior in violation of the County Ethics Code.

Prior to becoming IG, he practiced law for more than twenty (20) years with a substantial part of his law practice including the investigation of dishonest and fraudulent conduct. Griffin earned his Masters’ Degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  He graduated at the top of his class from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and received his bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Patton is returning to City Hall where he previously serve as chief human resources officer and executive assistant to Mayor Michael R. White. most recently served as Senior Advisor to the President at The Ohio State University. He also previously served as senior vice chancellor and chief human resources officer at the State University of New York. Before working in New York, he worked for MetroHealth as chief human resources officer and vice president of government affairs, marketing and communications. 

A Cleveland native, Paul earned a master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University (CSU) and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Ohio University. He completed the Senior Executive in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and was a national association of public hospitals fellow.  

Ryan Puente was Bibb's first campaign hire and his organizational talents were key to the campaign's skills.  Before taking the campaign manager post, Puente was recruited to serve as executive director of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party by party chair Shontel Brown. Brown has since been elected to Congress.

As an associate at Burges & Burges Strategists, Puente worked on public awareness campaigns and strategies including developing a program with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to increase student attendance.  He has managed multiple political campaigns and previously interned at The White House and for U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown as an intern. 

Puente holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio University and a Master’s of Public Administration from George Mason University. 

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