Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.

Syracuse Mayor-elect Sharon Owens announced her senior team Friday, keeping several high-ranking officials from current Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration.

The senior team, who provide executive support to the mayor, will manage daily city operations and departments, budget, and implement policies. The team’s four chief positions replace three senior aides in the Walsh administration, each with different titles and areas of responsibility.

Michael Cannizzaro, Walsh’s current commissioner of finance, will serve as Owens’ chief financial officer, according to a Friday release. As CFO, he will continue to manage city finance and oversee the Office of Management and Budget.

“It’s important to our financial sustainability strategy that the individual managing our finances be engaged with the mayor at the highest decision-making level,” Owens said in the release.

Eric Ennis will serve as Owens’ chief development officer, overseeing “strategic economic growth initiatives” to support Syracuse’s economic standing in central New York and workforce development, according to the release.

As the deputy commissioner of business development within the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Ennis has managed the city’s economic development and opportunity initiatives since 2021. In his new role, he will oversee the city’s Department of Assessment and its intergovernmental affairs operations, and continue to lead the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency.

“Our city has tremendous assets: its people, its institutions and its sense of resilience, and I’m excited to put my experience in economic development to work in service of inclusive growth and long-term revitalization,” Ennis said in the release. “Together, we have an opportunity to build stronger neighborhoods, support local businesses and entrepreneurs.”

Owens appointed Kevin Henry, the city’s director of building maintenance and operations, as her chief operations officer. In this role, will oversee the city’s public works, engineering, parks and recreation, water, fleet operations and facilities departments.

For 12 years, Henry supervised 60 employees who maintained the condition and improvement of nearly 200 city-owned facilities, according to the release.

“Kevin brings years of on-the-ground knowledge of the operations that facilitate city right-of-way, infrastructure, parks and building maintenance and development,” Owens said in the release.

Stephanie Pasquale will serve as the city’s chief strategy officer, overseeing the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, Constituent Services, the Bureau of Research and the Office to Reduce Gun Violence.

Pasquale formerly served as the city’s commissioner for the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, where she oversaw the department’s five divisions. She served under both Walsh and former Mayor Stephanie Miner.

Walsh’s chief policy officer, Greg Loh, will leave his position at the end of Walsh’s term, according to the release. Loh served as a member of Walsh’s senior staff for both of his terms.

Susan Katzoff will remain the city’s corporation counsel and continue to lead the city’s law department in representing city departments and the Syracuse Common Council.

Conor Muldoon, the city’s recently-appointed chief operations officer, will serve as the city’s chief innovation officer, overseeing the Office of Analytics.

Owens’ new appointments for her executive-level team will take office on Jan. 1.

Published on December 21, 2025 at 12:55 pm