Interim Neighborhood & Family Services Leadership

With the departure of Neighborhood & Family Services (NFS) Director Bob Salas two managers have assumed interim roles.  NFS Assistant Director Morgan Chegwidden is now Interim Director while WIC Manager Angela Bloss took on the Interim Assistant Director role.

Both Morgan and Angela have been promoted internally prior to their new assignments.  Morgan went from Budget Manager to NFS Assistant Director in June 2017.  Her primary focus was Animal Services and she served three roles on the Animal Shelter Advisory Committee, Staff Liaison, Board member and Shelter Director.  She completed the Executive Leadership Certification from Southern Utah University with tuition funded by Best Friends Animal Society.

Angela went from Deputy City Clerk to WIC Manager and was named the City's ADA Coordinator in an October 2024 City Council meeting.

The city is yet to post a press release regarding the interim assignments.  The information on these changes came from the City of San Angelo website.

These moves are important given City Manager Daniel Valenzuela has likely recruited a mix of local citizens to advise him and City Council on San Angelo's loose animal crisis.  Morgan oversaw the Animal Shelter for the last seven years, a period that dramatically choked off shelter intake, saw a significant rise in loose dogs on city streets and increased dog-on-dog bites, as well as animal-on-people bites.  The horrific dog attack on a City Animal Control Officer prompted Council to take action.

Council decides the employment of the City Manager but no other roles.  Council has been mostly effusive in their praise for Chegwidden despite crisis after crisis after crisis.  They also had no issue with her referring an upcoming Council meeting as "a show" in a communication with Best Friends leadership.  

Shelter Adoption coordinator Concho Valley PAWS simultaneously faces challenges.  Executive Director Jenie Wilson's husband was arrested in August 2024.  He provided website services for the PAWS and had done similar work for the city in the past.  

Many changes are afoot.  Whatever is decided by city management and Council, it took years to get into San Angelo's loose animal crisis and it will take years and a much better game plan to get out.

Update 1-11-25:  Bob Salas introduced Morgan to the Development Corporation Board in their December 2024 meeting as his interim replacement given his retirement "early next month (January 2025)."