New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno is conducting a national search for a chief administrative officer and has selected two allies to lead the effort in finding a top deputy that will handle the day-to-day work of running City Hall.

State Sen. Jimmy Harris and Ochsner Health executive Aimee Quirk will serve as co-chairs of the search committee, according to a press release Thursday.

Selecting a CAO is among the more consequential decisions a new mayor makes. The position is tasked under New Orleans' Home Rule Charter with supervising department heads, managing the budget and representing the administration before the City Council.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell received more than 100 applications in her own search for a CAO and eventually hired Gilbert Montaño, a former high-ranking of

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