Jackson Free Press

One of the events at yesterday's City Council meeting that fell through the cracks was Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's announcement that he has picked former JSU associate professor Safiya Omari to serve as his Chief of Staff.

The Shreveport, La. native has served as associate professor of social work and health sciences and Director of the Southern Institute for Mental Health Advocacy Research and Training at Jackson State since 1999. She holds a PhD from Northeastern University, where she studied social psychology.

Omari was co-chair of Lumumba's transition team alongside former Bennie Thompson aide Synarus Green. She sat front and center at Tuesday's City Council meeting, which was about as interesting as they come.

You can read a review of that meeting http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/jul/02/council-shifts/">here.

Lumumba's media contact Latrice Westbrooks said the mayor is in the process of filling other positions, and that announcements would be forthcoming. Stay tuned!