In a series of press releases, the City of Amarillo confirmed today a wide-ranging restructuring of leadership positions.

As we previously reported, Amarillo Chief of Police Martin Birkenfeld has been moved to the newly created role of Managing Director of Public Safety, where he will oversee the Police and Fire Departments, as well as the Office of Emergency Management and Amarillo Emergency Communications Center. With Birkenfeld taking over this new role, Assistant Chief Jimmy Johnson has been appointed Interim Chief of Police.

With Amarillo City Council currently undergoing a search for a new permanent City Manager, the search for a new permanent Chief of Police will not begin until the city chooses its next City Manager, per an internal email obtained by The Amarillo Pioneer.

The city has not only now confirmed those changes but has announced other major changes to the city’s organizational structure.

Transit Director Chris Quigley, Director of Community Development Jason Riddlespurger, and Director of Engagement & Innovation Jordan Schupbach are also being moved to newly created Managing Director roles.

According to the city, these new roles “will extend beyond overseeing a single department to having a leadership role for multiple departments, marking a significant expansion of their responsibilities.” The city also stressed that these changes will ensure “a robust line of succession within the organization” and that the “restructuring of current staff is being absorbed within the current approved budget with no increase in full-time positions to the overall employee count.”

Another change announced by the city is that Animal Management and Welfare Director Victoria Medley is being moved to a newly created Director of Organizational Advancement position, overseeing a new division within the Office of Engagement & Innovation. According to the city, the new division will involve ensuring “that the City of Amarillo continues to attract, develop, and retain the best talent to serve the community effectively.” Like the new Managing Director positions, the city has stressed that these changes are compatible with the city budget and will not involve any increase in the full-time employee count.

Instead of promoting someone to interim director, the city noted that Animal Management and Welfare “will be led by the current assistant directors within the department until a search is conducted to fill the director vacancy.”