Mayor Benjamin welcomes new office staff
August 30, 2016
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin has named several new office staff members.
The Mayor’s staff now includes Heyward Harvin as Executive Advisor, Lauren Harper as Advisor of Policy and Communications, Karen Elliott as Administrative Assistant and Ariel Cathcart as Project Manager. Chanique Belton is now Special Assistant to the Office of the Mayor, managing projects and events and aiding in policy initiatives.
“The Mayor’s office has been blessed with incredibly talented individuals who strive to use creative and innovative approaches to solve problems and improve quality of life in our city,” said Mayor Benjamin. “I’m excited to have them join my team, and I look forward to all we’ll be able to accomplish together.”
Harvin is a life-long Columbia resident. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and attended the USC School of Law. Before joining the Mayor’s staff, he was in private practice. As the Mayor’s executive advisor, Harvin is responsible for managing the Mayor’s staff and for implementing the Mayor’s vision to make Columbia the most talented, educated and entrepreneurial city in America.
Harper is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she studied public relations and marketing. She became familiar with the Office of the Mayor as a Mayor’s Fellow. Harper most recently served as the Public Relations and Communications Director for Tradeversity, a college marketplace startup. In addition to policy development and writing, she also manages media relations for the Mayor.
Elliott is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and previously worked as a paralegal in criminal law for seven years. She retired from the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense after 29 years.
Cathcart is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and previously worked as a Mayor’s Fellow. She manages the current Mayor’s Fellows in addition to managing projects on the Mayor’s agenda including the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.
Belton, a U.S. Army veteran, graduated from South University in 2010 and is working to obtain a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Phoenix. She interned in the Mayor’s office before being hired full-time in 2011 as Administrative Assistant.
The Mayor’s office can be reached by phone at 803.545.3075 or by emailing Elliott at [email protected].
