Mayor-Elect Paul Young Announces First Round of Administration Appointments and Opens Opportunity Portal
November 3, 2023. The Young transition team announces the first members of Mayor-elect Young’s Administration, naming Tannera Gibson as City Attorney and Chief Legal Officer and Penelope Huston as Chief Communications Officer.
Tannera Gibson is a native Memphian and a Member of Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC, practicing in Government Relations & Municipal Law, Commercial & Business Litigation, Labor & Employment Law, and Personal Injury Litigation. Gibson was named one of the Best Lawyers in America (2019-2024), was the first African-American female President of the Memphis Bar Association, and was the first African-American female partner of Burch, Porter & Johnson.
Penelope Huston, also a Memphis native, previously worked for multiple Memphis brand-defining organizations, including Contemporary Media, ALSAC, and Memphis in May, before serving as Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Downtown Memphis Commission for the past seven years.
“I am excited to get to work,” said Mayor-Elect Paul Young. “These first two early appointments show our commitment to excellence and my commitment to creating an administration staffed with problem-solvers who are ready to work on day one.”
Also launching today is the Opportunity Portal for the Young administration, which will allow anyone interested in working for the new mayor to upload a letter of interest and resume.
“The level of interest has already been high,” said Emily Greer, CEO of Greer Leadership Solutions and Co-Chair of the People/Appointments committee for the Young Transition Team. “Memphis is a talent-rich environment, and we look forward to kicking off the selection process.”