Foley recently appointed a new executive director of general government and administration, Cian Caldwell Harrison.

Formerly serving as Baldwin County clerk and treasurer, Harrison will be responsible for overseeing multiple departments, including revenue, human resources, marketing, municipal complex, financial services, information technology, the city clerk's office and municipal court.

This role is one of four executive director positions tasked with managing specific aspects of municipal government, reporting to City Administrator Mike Thompson.

According to a news release, since assuming her position in Foley, Harrison has been engaging with members of municipal departments to familiarize herself with the team and understand the responsibilities of each department within the city. She has delved into policy and procedure manuals, as well as reviewed financial and budget documents to enhance her understanding of the city's finances and operations.

"It is exciting to be a new member of Team Foley and I am grateful to Mayor (Ralph) Hellmich, the council, and Mike for giving me this opportunity. I am happy to be back home and to be able to give back to my community," Harrison said. "The city has an outstanding group of leaders who really care about Foley. I've attended multiple meetings since starting and immediately recognized a level of professionalism, respect and a team spirit that exists between everyone, elected officials and staff alike."

Harrison brings over five years of experience from her tenure with Baldwin County, and prior to that she worked as a certified public accountant for a CPA firm. Now a key member of the Foley team, Harrison aims to leverage her background to contribute effectively and is keen on learning as much as possible about the city from her fellow employees.

"My initial focus is to learn as much as I can about the different departments and how each one contributes to meeting the overall goals of the city. This is important for me to understand so I can effectively assist and support each director. The city has great directors who do an outstanding job, and I look forward to working with them as part of their team," Harrison said. "Foley has a lot going on. Think of where Foley was 50-plus years ago and where it is today. It takes good leadership and a dedicated team to deal with all of the growth and change and there is no doubt the city has done a great job all of these years. I am proud to be a small part of it all going forward."

Harrison's ties to Foley span generations. A Foley High School alumna, she shares this connection with her three children, as well as her parents and grandparents, all of whom also graduated from Foley High.

Her family history is deeply rooted in Foley, with her grandfather employed at Crosby Drug Store, a family-owned business located at the corner of Alabama 59 and U.S. 98 for several decades. Additionally, her grandmother served as the proprietor of the Foley Kiddie Kollege day care center, a well-attended institution from 1957 to 1994, nurturing thousands of local children.

Having witnessed Foley's growth since her childhood, Harrison possesses a unique understanding of her fellow residents' concerns and recognizes the responsibility to guide the city's development.

"I heard great things about working for the city of Foley before accepting this position, but what excited me was knowing I would be going back to my roots to work with a great team to make a difference," Harrison said. "Being from Foley, it is important to me that growth and change do not overshadow Foley's heritage. While change is inevitable, it is an opportunity. I am excited to be part of a great organization and to have the opportunity to be part of helping shape the future of Foley."