Mayor Greg Ballard announced this week the selection of Ryan Vaughn as Chief of Staff to replace Chris Cotterill, who is stepping down to return to the private sector, effective May 14th.
“I am proud to have Ryan join our administration. Ryan has served as President of the City-County Council, as a deputy prosecutor and as an attorney, and our city is very fortunate to have him continue his public service in this new capacity,” said Mayor Ballard. “Ryan has been a key partner in our efforts to balance the city’s budgets, reduce crime, invest hundreds of millions of dollars in our neighborhoods and make Indianapolis a more livable city.”
Vaughn leaves the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg LLP to join the administration. He has served as a City-County Councillor representing the 3rd district on the north side of the city since 2007.
He resigned his Council seat effective today. According to state law, the Marion County Republican Party chairman must call a caucus of precinct committeemen and women in the district in the next 10 to 30 days to elect a replacement.
Vaughn replaces Cotterill, who began his service to Indianapolis as Corporation Counsel in 2008. In that role, Cotterill overhauled the equal opportunity program to better prevent discrimination in our city, spearheaded the adoption of Mayor Ballard’s ethics reform package, increased prosecutions against civil code violators and reduced outside counsel expenses by several million dollars.
Cotterill has served as Chief of Staff since November 2009.
In that role, Cotterill led negotiations to transfer the water and wastewater systems to Citizens Energy Group, a $1.92 billion transaction; led the Mayor’s efforts to reform local government; and served as the Mayor’s appointee to the boards of directors of the Super Bowl Host Committee and the Indiana Convention & Visitors Association.
“Chris Cotterill’s leadership on the Citizens Energy transaction will save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Mayor Ballard. “I often joke that service in my administration is like the song Hotel California in that ‘you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.’ That is true in the case of Chris Cotterill as I will continue to seek his advice and service in other ways for the betterment of Indianapolis.”
