Mayor O'Connor Appointed New City Leadership

Mayor Corey O'Connor has submitted his new cabinet appointments for City Council approval.

Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in People

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a brass civic seal on a stone surface, representing municipal authority and government appointments. — Mayor Corey O'Connor submitted his new municipal cabinet appointments to the City Council, including candidates for CIO, budget director, and fire bureau chief. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Mayor Corey O'Connor has officially submitted his appointments for several key city leadership positions. The selections include Sylvia Harris as the new CIO and director of innovation and performance.

Why it matters

These appointments aim to formalize leadership roles across critical municipal departments. The City Council will now review the candidates to ensure they meet the requirements for their respective offices.

Sylvia Harris brings 18 years of experience with the city of Pittsburgh and over a decade of prior work at Dollar Bank. She has served as the acting CIO since January 5, 2026.

The players

Corey O'Connor

He is the mayor of Pittsburgh responsible for making executive appointments to city leadership positions.

Sylvia Harris

She is the appointee for the city's CIO and director of innovation and performance who previously served as the acting CIO.

Mat Davis

He is the mayoral appointee selected to lead the Bureau of Fire.

Rea Price

She is the mayoral appointee selected to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Heidi Norman

She is the former city CIO who served in the position beginning in 2022.

The details

In addition to Harris, the mayor has tapped Mat Davis to lead the Bureau of Fire and Rea Price as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Harris succeeds Heidi Norman, who had held the CIO position since 2022, and formerly served the city as CISO and assistant director of security.

Heidi Norman began serving as city CIO in 2022.
Sylvia Harris began her role as acting CIO on January 5, 2026.
The mayor submitted the appointments to the City Council on Friday, October 2, 2026.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the appointments on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

Market Landscape

These appointments represent a transition in municipal governance that aligns with the established administrative protocols of the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter. This cabinet shift positions the new leadership team to manage departmental operations under the mayor's strategic direction.

These leadership changes may influence how the city manages its internal innovation projects and fire department response protocols. Residents should watch for upcoming council decisions that could finalize these shifts in municipal department oversight.

The takeaway

Effective municipal management relies on the swift confirmation of appointed leaders to maintain consistent department performance. The upcoming council meeting serves as the final step in ensuring these offices are led by formally approved directors.