Mayor Michael Hancock has picked Laura Aldrete, the executive director of the Department of Community Planning and Development, as his next deputy mayor.
The Deputy Mayor takes on the mayor's duties whenever the elected mayor is unable to do so.
Aldrete took the post on Jan. 11 and is slated to serve through the end of Hancock's final term, which ends in July 2023.
She's replacing Denver Parks and Recreation head Happy Haynes. Haynes served in the role since Denver's former deputy mayor of six years and chief financial officer Brendan Hanlon resigned over the summer to take a job at Colorado State University.
Aldrete has headed up Community Planning and Development since 2019. In her role, she has been a driving force behind the Expanding Housing Affordability policy and at the helm through much of the planning process for the Park Hill Golf Course.
For over a year, the planning department has taken heat for slow permitting times caused by staffing shortages.
She also served as senior vice president for real estate at Denver International Airport, and helped develop over 16,000 acres of airport land.
