Nick DeSiato Is New Chief of Staff For Mayor Johnson

The Common Council isn’t the only place in City Hall seeing turnover. Mayor Cavalier Johnson has a new chief of staff as part of a game of musical chairs.

Kimberly Montgomery, head of the Intergovernmental Relations Division, is retiring. She’s served in the position, formally known as Legislative Liaison Director, since 2018 and has been with the city since 1996.

Jim Bohl, Johnson’s chief of staff, is taking Montgomery’s job. In turn, Milwaukee Police Department chief of staff Nick DeSiato is taking over as Johnson’s chief of staff. Heather Hough, a former assistant city attorney, is to become the new chief of staff at MPD under Chief Jeffrey Norman.

It’s not the first time Bohl and Montgomery have been linked in a game of bureaucratic musical chairs.

In 2018, Mayor Tom Barrett fired Fire and Police Commission (FPC) executive director MaryNell Regan, gave legislative liaison La Keisha Butler the FPC job, then promoted lobbyist Kimberly Montgomery to Butler’s role. Who replaced Montgomery? Longtime alderman Jim Bohl.

Prior to moving to the administration side in 2018, Bohl had represented the city’s far west side on the council for 18 years. But he had already revealed a desire to join the executive branch, he was a finalist to become chief of staff to the mayor of Madison in 2017. He supported Johnson’s mayoral bid and became chief of staff in December 2021 when Johnson became acting mayor.

Now the shuffle is underway again. Bohl, subject to council confirmation, will lead the city’s lobbying and intergovernmental team.

DeSiato brings his experience as an attorney and in public safety to Johnson’s office. He served as an assistant city attorney from 2012 to 2018, then became chief of staff to newly-hired chief Alfonso Morales. He held that role, the number two position and top civilian at MPD, through Morales’ 2020 demotion and was retained by Norman when he was named chief.

In a LinkedIn post announcing his new job, DeSiato thanked his MPD colleagues and Bohl. “[The mayor’s] an amazing leader and even better person. I am so honored to be a part of the team and, no doubt, have huge shoes to fill,” wrote DeSiato.

The new chief of staff won’t have to waste any time on introductions. He’s regularly appeared before the Common Council and worked with other departments in his MPD role. A 2008 graduate of Marquette University Law School, DeSiato is a native of Philadelphia.

Hough started in the City Attorney’s Office in 2015 and resigned earlier this year to join MPD. The department confirmed she holds the chief of staff job on an interim basis.

The mayor’s office did not issue a formal statement about the changes, but confirmed the new roles and described the situation as desired by all involved.