Scoop: St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch to announce four new hires

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch will announce key appointments Wednesday, city representatives tell Axios.

Catch up quick: The changes come two weeks after the city's communications director and deputy mayor both quit.

• Janelle Irwin Taylor, the city's former communications director, resigned Sept. 1, citing a lack of response to what she called a "hostile work environment" created by then-deputy mayor Stephanie Owens.
• Owens later resigned and Welch eliminated the position.

What's new: Erica Riggins is leaving her job as morning anchor for Bay News 9 to be the city's new public information officer.

More appointments: Welch's senior adviser, Jordan Doyle Walsh, will be interim chief of staff.

• Alizza Punzalan-Randle was chosen as managing director for communications and community engagement. She was a nonprofit executive for more than 20 years, most recently for St. Pete Free Clinic.
• Shelly Loos will be director of stakeholder and community engagement. Loos served as vice president of marketing for a South Florida-based technology company for 11 years before moving to St. Pete.