Changes in Chicago City Hall: Recent departures from COPA, OEMC, and aviation department prompt inquiries about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s leadership

In Chicago, the recent departures of key leaders from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration have sparked speculation. The changes occurring at City Hall have left many wondering about the reasons behind these shake-ups.

Some political observers believe that more turnover could be coming.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Whenever a new administration takes over, it is common to see changes, but the abrupt departures this week under Mayor Johnson’s leadership raise concerns about potential issues within City Hall.

This week saw significant turbulence within Mayor Johnson’s leadership team, particularly highlighted by the resignation of aviation commissioner Jamie Rhee, amid reports suggesting that she was compelled to step down.

“I mean, certainly I’m very concerned being in such a tumultuous time with all this important work going on, the modernization, the expansion at O’Hare International Airport,” said 19th Ward Ald. Ald. Matthew O’Shea, Aviation Committee Chairman.

However, Johnson’s administration has seen significant turnover, with a number of people leaving in the last eight months alone.

Besides Rhee, OEMC Executive Director Jose Tirado and Joe Calvello, the mayor’s chief strategy officer, also left this week for other jobs.

Also departing on their own were Comptroller Chase Rehwinkel and former Chief of Staff Rich Guidice. Communications director Ronnie Reese was fired.

Guidice said he left eight months ago because it was time to go.

“The political atmosphere was a little charged, to say the least, with the other politicians in the city,” Guidice said.

Monday night, the mayor made it clear he’s shaking things up.

“If you ain’t with us, you just gotta go,” Johnson said Monday. “So, now I’m in a position now where where I’ll be making some decisions in the days to come.”

Democratic strategist Tom Bowen said the problem may not be the mayor’s staff.

“The problem is the mayor, and the voters have clearly made the judgment about that. It’s why he has a 15% approval rating,” Bowen said. “Don’t forget, he hired an entire school board, fired them all, and then still couldn’t get the changes he wanted at Chicago Public Schools. So the problem isn’t the staff, the problem is him.”

Johnson’s comments Monday have many observers expecting the City Hall could lose more good leadership at a time when it’s really needed.

“When things aren’t going well, they tend to get worse,” Bowen said. “You really need strong leadership to arrest a decline like this and get things back going in the right direction.”

Guidice said the mayor’s progressive politics, the same ones that got him elected, are now a problem. He said his recommendation is for the mayor be more moderate in his policies.

“These first 21 months have been very tumultuous, and there’s been a lot of uncertainty,” Ald. O’Shea said. “We need stability.”