Mayor Rahm Emanuel named Adolfo Hernandez as the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement. In this role, Hernandez will serve as a direct link between City government – including the Mayor’s Office, City departments, and sister agencies – with external partners and communities across Chicago. The mission of the office is to engage neighborhoods and community leaders with City government, ensuring the resources of government are closely connected to the residents it serves. Hernandez’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Ken Bennett as Deputy Chief of Staff and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement. Hernandez previously served as the Director of the Chicago Office of New Americans. The Office was created by the Mayor to support Chicago’s immigrant communities, help immigrants access

The Mayor also named Tonantzin Carmona as a Deputy Policy Director and the new Director of the Office of New Americans to continue the work to make Chicago the most immigrant friendly city in the country through enhanced collaboration between City government, community organizations, academic and faith based institutions, and the private sector. Carmona has spent the last year and half in the Emanuel Administration working on a wide range of policy issues – including immigrant integration policies, as well as sustainability, public health, and small business initiatives—and has played a leading role in the City-County Collaboration, helping to streamline services, improve residents’ interactions with government, save taxpayer dollars and increase revenue. To date, the City and County have identified $70.9 million in savings or new revenue as part of the Collaboration. Carmona is the granddaughter of immigrants and community volunteers and was born and raised in the Little Village community. Carmona earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Northwestern University and currently resides in the Avondale community.