Houston Mayor John Whitmire has appointed new directors to two city departments following the retirement of the city’s longtime human resources director.
Herbert C. Sims Jr., who has led Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods since 2024, will take over as director of human resources following the retirement of Jane Cheeks. Sims will be replaced by Rebekah Williams, a senior advisor in Whitmire’s administration who previously worked under former Mayor Sylvester Turner.
The appointments were announced late last week and come as the city continues reorganizing departments and addressing financial challenges that have prompted changes to municipal spending and services.
Cheeks had served as Houston’s human resources director for 10 years. The department oversees employee recruitment, benefits, and other personnel services for approximately 20,000 municipal workers.
Sims has worked for the City of Houston for more than two decades, including several positions involving departmental budgeting and financial management. Before becoming director of the Department of Neighborhoods, he served as its assistant director of Neighborhood Services for Budget and Finance from 2021 to 2024 and finance division manager from 2018 to 2021.
He also spent 16 years in the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, where his responsibilities included counseling at-risk youth and overseeing grant-funded programs intended to assist young people involved in gang activity or the criminal justice system. Sims holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston-Downtown.
Williams, who will replace Sims, has spent nearly three years serving as Whitmire’s senior advisor for community relations. Her responsibilities have included coordinating with residents, nonprofit organizations, religious institutions, and civic leaders. She previously served as communications supervisor in Turner’s administration and has worked as a city liaison to Houston’s faith community.
The Department of Neighborhoods oversees several community programs, including gang prevention, human trafficking and domestic violence initiatives, immigrant services, and the city’s Super Neighborhood system. It has also undergone substantial changes in recent years as Houston officials have consolidated municipal operations.
According to the city’s adopted fiscal year 2027 budget, the department’s general fund spending totaled approximately $13 million in fiscal year 2025, compared to a budget of $7.37 million for fiscal year 2027. The department reported 73.8 full-time-equivalent positions in fiscal year 2025, compared to 41.6 budgeted positions for fiscal year 2027. Much of the reduction followed the transfer of residential code enforcement operations to Houston Public Works, while other programs have been consolidated within the department. The current budget also includes $286,040 in departmental savings initiatives.
The appointments follow Houston City Council’s approval of a $7.5 billion budget earlier this year, which introduced new fees to address the city’s financial shortfall.
The spending plan faced criticism from City Controller Chris Hollins over the city’s long-term financial outlook. Whitmire has defended his administration’s efforts to restructure city operations and stabilize municipal finances.
In announcing the appointments, the mayor praised both directors’ experience and said he looked forward to their continued service to Houston residents.
