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Gary, IN — The City of Gary announced today that Chief Communications Officer Erika Blackwell will transition from her position on Aug. 22,2025. Blackwell has served in this role in Mayor Eddie Melton’s administration since January 2024, leading the city's communications strategy during a period of significant transformation and growth for Gary.
Blackwell will be relocating to France to pursue a new professional opportunity. The city will begin the search for a new Chief Communications Officer immediately, with the position posting scheduled for this week.
During her tenure, Blackwell has led communications for major city initiatives and built a robust team to create quality, transparent communications. Under her leadership, the communications department has enhanced the city's digital presence, strengthened media relationships, and developed strategic messaging that has highlighted Gary's achievements and progress.
“Erika has done an exceptional job building our communications department from scratch - creating something we hadn't had in a long time,” said Mayor Eddie Melton. "She has been a trusted advisor in my administration who brought professionalism, creativity, and genuine passion for our city to her role. I'm grateful to the Gary Common Council for sharing my vision and approving the creation of the Chief Communications Officer position, which has been transformational for our city. Erika will lead the search for her successor.”
"Serving as Gary's Chief Communications Officer has been an honor," said Blackwell. "This city has an incredible story to tell, and working alongside Mayor Melton has been a privilege - his vision and leadership have delivered incredible wins for our city. As a team, we’ve worked tirelessly to rebuild relationships with media and stakeholders, restore public trust, and most importantly, help residents rediscover their pride in their community. Seeing how people now talk about Gary - with genuine excitement about our future - that's what I'm most proud of. I can't wait to see what comes next for our incredible city."
Prior to joining the City of Gary, Blackwell held senior positions at International Motors (subsidiary of Traton SE/ Volkswagon), where she led digital transformation initiatives and managed communications for complex organizational changes. She also brought extensive brand marketing and corporate strategy experience from General Motors and Pandora Jewelry. She holds dual MBAs from Emory University and HEC-Paris School of Management.
The City of Gary’s Media and Communications team will continue operations under interim leadership while the search for a permanent replacement is conducted. Applications for the Chief Communications Officer position will be available on the city's website at www.gary.gov.
Media Contact:
Erika Blackwell, Chief Communications Officer, City of Gary
cogmedia@gary.gov | (219) 806-6489
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