CHARLOTTE — On the same day that Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden apologized after recordings surfaced of racial slurs, the sheriff’s office announced changes to its leadership team.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mecklenburg County sheriff apologizes after recording of racial slurs surfaces ]
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that the changes to the executive staff are coming near the midpoint of McFadden’s second term.
Here’s the new lineup:
- Christopher Allen is appointed as interim chief deputy. MCSO says he joined the sheriff’s office from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and he’s previously served as chief of staff.
- Shelby Jones is the new MCSO chief of staff. The sheriff’s office says Jones was McFadden’s first hire as sheriff and served as his executive assistant until now.
- Shanta Williams is interim director of human resources while the sheriff’s office conducts a search for a new permanent HR director. Williams has been with MCSO for nearly 25 years.
- Andrey Melkonyan is promoted to director of business operations. He was hired in 2008 and previously served as accounting supervisor.
“I am confident these leadership changes will bring the vision, integrity, and experience that’s needed to help the agency move forward,” Sheriff McFadden said.
It’s not clear what happened with the department’s former HR director or director of business operations at this time.
McFadden said he’s making the changes to “strengthen MCSO’s ongoing commitment to service, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement,” adding that the changes are “essential for the sheriff to successfully uphold public safety and trust.”
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