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Memphis Mayor Paul Young shook up his cabinet. Here’s why.

By , Daily Memphian Published: July 21, 2025 4:00 AM CT

Throughout the past six months, Memphis Mayor Paul Young has reshuffled his cabinet, installing several new department heads and promoting John Zeanah to become the city’s first head of development and infrastructure. 

Young has also had several key departures. Two members of his policy team have left city government. The city fired its animal services director last year and just appointed a permanent replacement. 

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Subscriber Only Paul Young John Zeanah melanie neal Suzanne Hollenbach

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Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman

Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.


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