The deputy mayors of Louisville, KY are the top operational officials serving directly under Mayor Craig Greenberg, each running a cluster of city departments on his behalf. As of late 2025, Louisville Metro Government lists four: Nicole George, Dana Mayton, Julie Carr, and Chan Kemper.1LouisvilleKY.gov. Contact the Office of Mayor Craig Greenberg Kentucky law requires the mayor of a consolidated local government to appoint at least one deputy mayor within seven days of taking office and to keep the position filled for the full term.2Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 67C.105 – Qualifications, Election, Title, and Powers of Mayor The role carries no independent legal authority; deputy mayors handle only the duties the mayor assigns.
Who the Current Deputy Mayors Are
The four deputy mayors currently listed on the city’s mayoral staff page carry these responsibilities:1LouisvilleKY.gov. Contact the Office of Mayor Craig Greenberg
- Nicole George is Deputy Mayor for Public Health and Services, overseeing the Public Health Department, Public Works, and related agencies.
- Dana Mayton is Deputy Mayor for Operations and Budget, responsible for the Office of Management and Budget, Human Resources, and other administrative departments.
- Julie Carr serves as Deputy Mayor.
- Chan Kemper serves as Deputy Mayor.
The team has turned over since Greenberg was inaugurated in January 2023. David James originally served as Deputy Mayor for Emergency Services, leading the Louisville Fire Department, Metro Corrections, and EMS. In October 2025, Greenberg appointed James to fill a vacancy as Jefferson County Sheriff, pulling him out of the administration.3LouisvilleKY.gov. Mayor Greenberg Appoints New Sheriff and County Clerk Pat Mulloy joined in 2023 as the city’s first Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, with a cabinet that included the Department of Economic Development, the Office of Housing and Community Development, and Codes and Regulations. Mulloy stepped down in August 2024. Barbra Sexton Smith also served as a deputy mayor focused on strategic priorities during the administration’s early months.
What Deputy Mayors Do
KRS 67C.105 says a deputy mayor has “only the duties assigned to him or her by the mayor.”2Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 67C.105 – Qualifications, Election, Title, and Powers of Mayor In practice, the job breaks down into a few core functions.
Each deputy mayor supervises a portfolio of city departments, reviews performance, and surfaces problems to the mayor. When the mayor sets a priority — a public safety plan, a housing initiative, a budget target — deputy mayors translate it into operational direction for department heads and track whether agencies are actually executing. They coordinate with the Metro Council on the mayor’s budget requests and legislative agenda, attending council sessions and committee meetings to answer questions and advocate for the administration’s positions. And they stand in for the mayor at community forums, press events, and intergovernmental meetings the mayor cannot attend personally.
Much of the day-to-day work is interagency mediation. When a project spans multiple departments, such as a homelessness initiative that touches public health, housing, and police, the relevant deputy mayor is usually the person in the room forcing coordination.
How Deputy Mayors Get Appointed
KRS 67C.105 sets the rules. The mayor must appoint a deputy mayor within seven days of being sworn in and must keep the position filled through the term. The deputy mayor must meet all the same qualifications required of the mayor, serves at the mayor’s pleasure, and can be replaced for any reason.2Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 67C.105 – Qualifications, Election, Title, and Powers of Mayor Nothing in the statute requires Metro Council approval, which is a meaningful distinction from certain board and commission seats that do need legislative consent.
The statute technically requires only one deputy mayor. Louisville’s practice of appointing four reflects the mayor’s broader staffing authority in the same statute, which allows the mayor to appoint and remove staff at will. Appointed officers must take the oath of office required by the Kentucky Constitution before assuming their duties.
Limits on What a Deputy Mayor Can Do
All executive and administrative power in Louisville Metro Government is vested in the mayor’s office by statute.4American Legal Publishing. Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances – 30.01 Office of the Mayor Deputy mayors operate inside that delegated space. They cannot independently issue executive orders, and only the mayor can sign or veto legislation passed by the Metro Council.
The scope of any deputy mayor’s portfolio can expand, shrink, or disappear at the mayor’s discretion. When Pat Mulloy left the economic development role in 2024, there was no obligation to refill that exact slot. The mayor can reassign those departments to another deputy mayor or handle them through a different reporting structure entirely.
Does a Deputy Mayor Become Mayor if the Office Is Vacant?
Not automatically. KRS 67C.105 addresses what happens when the mayor’s office becomes vacant, and its full title includes “Procedure for filling vacancy in office of mayor.”2Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 67C.105 – Qualifications, Election, Title, and Powers of Mayor The requirement that a deputy mayor meet the same qualifications as the mayor and remain in place through the term points toward continuity of government, but a deputy mayor does not inherit the office the way a vice president would. The statute lays out a specific vacancy procedure, and the Metro Council plays a role in it.