5/4/2006
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Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-3690 |
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Mayor names Garrard as city's economic development director; Menon tapped to lead city's public works
INDIANAPOLIS - Mayor Bart Peterson today named James Garrard, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW) since 2004, as his new director of economic development.
Peterson also named Kumar Menon, currently DPW deputy director, as the new DPW director.
As economic development director, Garrard will direct the city's aggressive economic development initiatives including, BioCrossroads, the central Indiana life sciences network, transportation and mass transit, workforce development and the development of the Indianapolis International Airport.
He succeeds Gordon Hendry, who now serves as interim chief executive officer & president of the Indy Partnership.
"After Jim Garrard's excellent leadership at two of our most challenging departments, I am pleased that he now will bring his considerable skills and leadership to aggressively creating new jobs, business and investment in Indianapolis," Mayor Peterson said.
As public works director, Garrard led the department that maintains city streets, sewers, levees and traffic systems; manages trash collection and disposal; and inspects air, land and water for environmental health and safety.
He also oversaw the city's wastewater and stormwater systems, environmental permits, capital improvements, lighting of streets, roads and bridges, as well as the Clean Stream Team, a team of DPW staff and private sector partners that focus efforts on reducing raw sewage overflows and pollution in our waterways, eliminating failing septic systems and improving flood control and drainage.
Before serving as DPW director, Garrard was administrator of the Indianapolis Animal Care & Control Division (ACCD) where he oversaw a comprehensive reorganization and revitalization of the division. He joined city government in 2000 as the city's labor-employee relations and risk manager. He previously served as special counsel in the Office of Corporation Counsel.
Before joining city government, Garrard was a deputy attorney general and a law clerk for Justice Robert Rucker on both the Indiana Supreme Court and the Indiana Court of Appeals. He received a bachelor's degree from Ball State University and a law degree from Indiana University in Indianapolis.
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As DPW's deputy director, Menon led the team responsible for finance, technology, strategic planning, environmental services and policy development. He also coordinated efforts across the department on realigning budgets with current fiscal challenges, managed the merger of Fleet Services division into DPW and reduced expenditures by consolidating services and streamlining processes.
He also provided strategic planning and leadership on several citywide initiatives including transportation planning, property tax assessment systems, fee analyses, local government consolidation efforts, technology assessment design and implementation, contract negotiation development and management, performance measurement, and environmental planning.
Menon previously led the department's Solid Waste Services, where he managed a team of 125 employees and 200 contract vendors in providing waste management services.
Before joining city government, Menon was the chief executive officer of Symbiosis Consulting, Inc., a start up information technology company that began as a local, three-person operation and grew into a 45-person firm that provided skilled software consultants to clients nationwide.
Menon received a bachelor's and master's degree in economics from Madras University and is currently enrolled in the doctoral program in economics at Indiana University. He also has taught bachelor's and master's level classes in economics, business and computer science at Indiana Wesleyan University and IUPUI.
"Kumar has extensive and comprehensive knowledge of the inner workings of DPW, city government and neighborhoods, and I'm confident he will continue to lead this front line agency in keeping our city running and improving neighborhood quality of life," Peterson said.
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