St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch has appointed George Smith as the new Chief Equity Officer, succeeding Interim Chief Equity Officer Carl R. Lavender, Jr., who is set to depart in March 2025. The announcement was made on January 29, 2025.
Mayor Welch expressed his gratitude towards Lavender for his contributions, stating, “I’m grateful to Carl for coming out of retirement to help establish St. Pete’s first Office of Equity. Carl has laid the groundwork to integrate and sustain equitable best practices across our City teams, and he has used his in-depth experience and strong, strategic community partnerships to ensure inclusive progress citywide.”
Lavender reflected on his tenure saying, “It has been an honor to serve our Mayor and lead one of Mayor Welch’s key initiatives that emulate the saying ‘We Are St. Pete’. I look forward to continuing my service to the city in other capacities in the future.” During his time with the city since November 2023, Lavender achieved several milestones including securing a $6.9 million federal grant from the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) aimed at addressing digital inequality among underserved residents.
George Smith will take over from Lavender after serving as Economic Development Manager since 2019. He commented on his new role by saying, “The role of Chief Equity Officer comes with great responsibility, and I am honored that Mayor Welch has selected me to carry Carl’s impact forward.” As a second-generation resident of South St. Pete, Smith plans to continue promoting equitable opportunities within the community redevelopment area.
Smith’s previous responsibilities included managing affordable housing programs and small business assistance initiatives for South St. Pete CRA. His efforts also extended into various recovery initiatives post-COVID-19 pandemic and following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Prior to joining St. Petersburg’s team, Smith held roles such as finance director for Pinellas County Job Corps and executive director for Mt. Zion Human Services. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human services along with two master’s degrees from Springfield College.
In his new position as Chief Equity Officer overseeing the Office of Community Impact, Smith will report directly to Mayor Welch’s Chief of Staff Jordan “Doyle” Walsh while serving on the Mayor’s Cabinet or executive team.
