Aisha Miller appointed chief of Civic Engagement

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the appointment of Aisha Miller as the Chief of Civic Engagement for the City of Boston, effective Monday, December 7, 2020. The Civic Engagement Cabinet is composed of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, the Mayor's Office of Public Service and Community Outreach, Boston 311, and SPARK Boston and is dedicated to the efficient and effective delivery of City services, as well as creating opportunities for Boston residents to participate with local government. Miller is currently the Assistant Commissioner of Constituent Services for the Boston Inspectional Service Department (ISD). 

"Aisha brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in civic engagement to this new role, and I am proud and excited to appoint her as my Chief of Civic Engagement," said Mayor Walsh. "Managing the Constituent Services Division at ISD required building relationships with the community, outside stakeholders and various city agencies to ensure each Boston resident is afforded the best quality of life. I am confident that she will also excel in this new role and all City departments will benefit from having her as a Cabinet Chief." 

"I am excited and esteemed by this opportunity to lead one of the essential departments in the City of Boston that connects to all Boston residents. I look forward to continuing the initiatives spearheaded by Chief Jerome Smith and creating new initiatives under the leadership of Mayor Martin J. Walsh," said Aisha Miller. "I was born and raised in Mattapan, enriched with families and hard-working parents like my mother that instilled values in their children. Moments like these prove to young people of color that opportunities are at their fingertips through hard work and dedication. For me, it's simple; a girl from Mattapan has the chance to give back to the people who have prepared her for this moment."

Aisha will take the role of Jerome Smith, who served as director of the Office of Neighborhood Services and Chief of Civic Engagement for over six years. Current Chief of Staff for the Civic Engagement Cabinet, Edward M. McGuire III, will assume the role of Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services effective Monday, December 7, 2020. Faisa Shariff was recently appointed as the Deputy Director of ONS. 

Jerome Smith's last day working at the City of Boston will be Friday, December 4, 2020. As Chief of Civic Engagement and Director of the Office of Neighborhood Services, he advised the Mayor on efforts to preserve and enhance the quality of services delivered to residents, including overseeing Mayor Walsh's Civic Academies and NEW (Neighborhood Engagement Walks) Boston, developing neighborhood partnerships, resolving problems related to code enforcement, rebranding and managing Boston 311, and spearheading Mayor Walsh's Problem Properties Task Force, Fireworks Task Force, and Police Reform Task Force. 

"Jerome has been an integral part of my team for many years, and greatly contributed to the continual improvement of delivering City services," said Mayor Walsh. "It has truly been a pleasure to work with him and we wish him the best in his future endeavors."

"It was a privilege to serve the City of Boston under the Walsh administration doing such meaningful work as the Chief of Civic Engagement and Director of Neighborhood Services," said Jerome Smith. "I was dedicated to bridging the gaps between our communities and local government as I firmly believed that it is only by strengthening our neighborhoods that we can succeed as a city. With the support of the Mayor, my excellent staff and I were able to improve the delivery of services to constituents and to find innovative and meaningful ways in which to engage the residents of Boston. I am confident that the Cabinet will continue to do incredible work." 

For more information, please visit the Neighborhood Services website.