The City of Covington announced a new neighborhood services director and deputy director, and both are familiar faces at City Hall.
Brandon Holmes was previously deputy director in the department and was elevated following the promotion of Ken Smith to city manager.
Keith Bales, who was previously director of the city’s code enforcement department before founding the popular Moonrise Donuts in Latonia, will serve as deputy director in a return to City Hall.
“Neighborhood Services will be in good hands,” Smith said. “Brandon has done a tremendous job in his short time, and Keith will join him with a wealth of experience, institutional knowledge of the City, and relationships. I look forward to working with them to continue Covington’s momentum.”
Neighborhood Services includes five division:
- Solid Waste and Recycling
- Parks & Recreation
- Code Enforcement
- Federal grants/housing assistance
- Housing Choice Voucher program
It also includes the Read Ready Covington early childhood literacy program.
Holmes came to the city on Aug. 16, most recently from the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, to fill what was then a newly created position.
“Neighborhood Services plays a vital role in the city, and I’m lucky to step into a role surrounded by a team of top-notch dedicated professionals who always go above and beyond to make sure their divisions are delivering to our residents, visitors, and business community,” Holmes said.
In concert with the various division managers, Holmes said he’s steadily developing priorities and plans for the department’s various divisions, although that’s a work in progress.
“Blight reduction, supporting and facilitating the creation of more workforce housing, and tackling the problems that abandoned blighted properties bring to the city will surely be areas of focus,” he said.
Holmes said he expects to use Bales in a number of roles and believes he “will be an asset from day one” because of his local government and managerial experience as well as his civic and business ties.
Bales, who lives in Latonia, is well-known in the region for a resume that includes a variety of public and private sector jobs.
He served on several city boards, ran Covington’s Code Enforcement Division from 2006 to 2012, and has over a decade of experience working at various levels for the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, including almost five years as head of the regional juvenile justice detention center in Campbell County and four years partnering with the $4 billion non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation on judicial reform.
Bales also has run several small businesses, including Tag Team Services, which picked up litter and removed graffiti in Covington’s urban core, among other places, and Moonrise Doughnuts, an award-winning Latonia doughnut shop known for its evening hours. After starting Moonrise in 2017, he expanded to a second location before selling the shop earlier this year.
He has since sold the business.
Bales has a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology.
He starts at the city on Nov. 8.
“My family’s history dates back to the 1920s in Covington. I just can’t seem to get it out of my blood,” Bales said. “I love this town and want to be a part of the great things going on here.”
Bales said he looks forward to helping Holmes in a support role and working to help the City address residents’ concerns.
“My heart is in working in the field, meeting with citizens and organizations on the street level,” he said. “I have a tremendous commitment to customer service – I believe a key role of government is to problem-solve. I’m excited to get started.”
-Staff report
Photo provided