Berry picks sheriff, ex-city attorney

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque’s new mayor wasted little time filling top spots at City Hall when he named a new chief administrative officer and public safety director Tuesday.

One week after the election Mayor-elect Richard Berry tapped Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White to be the city’s director of public safety and David Campbell to be the CAO.

“In these two professionals, I’ve got gentlemen who love this city,” Berry said at an afternoon news conference.

Campbell will replace Ed Adams, who served under outgoing Mayor Martin Chávez. Campbell served as an assistant to Mayor Harry Kinney in the early 1980s and was the city attorney from 1989 to 1993.

White, a Republican first elected sheriff in 2002, will replace Pete Dinelli. He previously was an Albuquerque police officer, cabinet secretary for public safety under Gov. Gary Johnson and a reporter at KRQE News 13.

“They want to make the city safer," Berry said. "They want to make the city a great place to do business and have an administration that works more like a business.

"Those were campaign promises that I made, and I think these two appointments are a great first step in that direction.”

On Tuesday Berry also named six members of the transition team to oversee city divisions as the new administration takes shape. The six will answer to Sherman McCorkle who was named chairman of the transition team on Monday.

The six and their areas of responsibility are:

• State Rep. Larry Larrañaga, R-Albuquerque, public utilities and facilities.
• Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, public safety departments.
• Demesia Padilla, CPA and former Republican candidate for state treasurer, internal services.
• Alex Romero: Romero will oversee the transition of the City's economic development departments.
• John Garcia, community services.
• Terri Cole, president of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, intergovernmental services and relationships.

Berry officially takes office as mayor on December 1.