Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has tapped one of his current deputies to be the acting commissioner of the city’s cultural affairs department, his office announced Friday.

Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt will lead the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events while Johnson searches for a permanent replacement for Clinée Hedspeth, who resigned this week after a rocky tenure in the position.

Merritt is a longtime city staffer who is currently Johnson’s deputy mayor of business, economic and neighborhood development. A mayoral spokesperson said that Merritt will return to her role as deputy mayor once the DCASE role has been permanently filled.

Merritt previously worked as DCASE’s chief financial officer and interim chief operating officer. She’s also had stints at the city’s Chicago Dep

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