Chief administrative officer set
Mayor-elect Harris makes first major appointment to office
Shelby County Mayor-elect Lee Harris has named Patrice WilliamsonThomas his chief administrative officer.
Thomas is currently deputy chief operating officer for the city of Memphis.
Harris made the announcement Tuesday morning, the first major appointment to his new administration.
“Patrice Thomas is the best possible leader to serve as our next CAO,” Harris said in an emailed statement. “Our next chief administrative officer must be nimble, progressive, and capable of translating our vision for A New Era into the day-to-day execution of county government. Patrice proved to be the most qualified candidate and I am confident that she will make a lasting impact on the residents of Shelby County.”
The news release included a statement of support from city of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who named
Thomas to his administration in 2015. Before that, she was deputy director of Memphis Public Works.
“Patrice Thomas was one of the key members of our team in just about every initiative we’ve taken on the past two and a half years,” Strickland said in the release. “She is a major reason why we’ve been able to successfully tackle so many challenges. She is a spectacular public servant and an even better person. Mayor-elect Harris just hit a home run.”
Thomas previously worked as senior financial analyst at Smith & Nephew Richards and manager at First Tennessee’s Corporate Controller’s Division. In 2004, she joined the City of Memphis, where she eventually became deputy director of public works. She graduated Memphis Central High School, Christian Brothers University and the University of Memphis. She is also a certified public accountant.
Harris will be sworn in Thursday and officially take office Saturday.