Spencer Administration Reshapes Key City Operational Roles, CDA Director Departs

Date Posted: November 11, 2025

Posted In: Featured, News, Organizations, People,

by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum

The City of St. Louis is making significant changes in several core operational departments, with Mayor Cara Spencer announcing a new director for the Streets Department, the appointment of a deputy chief operating officer, and the upcoming departure of the City’s Community Development Administration (CDA) director. The administration also named a new director of the Office of Violence Prevention.

At the center of the announcement is the appointment of James Jackson as the City’s new Street Department director. Jackson brings more than 30 years of public works and infrastructure leadership experience from major cities including Atlanta, Topeka, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. He will oversee core services ranging from refuse collection and snow removal to street maintenance and towing operations.

“I promised Mayor Spencer that I will work tirelessly to bring the Street Department up to the highest performance standards,” Jackson said in the release. “I’m looking forward to getting on the ground to meet the team and deliver the best possible services for the citizens of St. Louis.”

Jackson steps into the role following Interim Director Kent Flake, who returns to his prior position as commissioner. Spencer highlighted Flake’s leadership during the recovery from the May 16 tornado, when street crews logged more than 32,000 hours in cleanup and stabilization work and made adjustments to the recycling program projected to save taxpayers approximately $100,000 per month.

Debt of Gratitude

“We owe Kent a real debt of gratitude,” Spencer said. “He led us through an intense period of storm clean-up, the scale of which we had not seen before.”

In addition to the Streets leadership transition, the mayor has appointed Col. Bryan Barroqueiro as Deputy Chief Operating Officer, where he will again work alongside Chief Operating Officer Col. Ben Jonsson. Barroqueiro previously served in the U.S. Air Force, including as deputy chief of staff at Air Mobility Command, supporting global operations involving more than 1,300 personnel and a fleet of 1,100 aircraft.

“St. Louis has been my adopted home for more than 15 years,” Barroqueiro said. “No matter where my uniformed service took me around the world, I always knew I’d return to the city. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to continue serving the public at the local level and to help build a strong future for the City of St. Louis.”

The administration also noted the appointment of Marvin Teer as the new director of the Office of Violence Prevention. Teer’s background spans legal leadership, municipal court service, community engagement roles, and work in statewide anti-violence initiatives.

CDA Director Steps Down

The personnel shifts come as Community Development Administration Executive Director Nahuel Fefer prepares to step down on November 28. Fefer, who has led the CDA since August 2022, played a visible role in distributing millions of dollars in federal and local development funds, including multiple post-tornado recovery allocations.

“It has been the honor of my professional life to serve the people of St. Louis and lead such an extraordinary team at CDA,” Fefer said. “While love and family are calling me to Boston, I remain deeply invested in St. Louis’ success and hope to contribute to the city’s recovery and transformation in new ways moving forward.”

Mayor Spencer noted that the new leadership group reflects her administration’s ongoing priority to restore core city services and raise performance expectations across departments.

“These new team members bring a level of expertise and a love of St. Louis City that will be vital as we tackle long-standing issues and stretch toward new levels of service,” Spencer said. “We are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”