Chief Administrative Office

Welcome to the Chief Administrative Office. The CAO provides administrative management for the City of New Orleans.  The CAO oversees departments specified by the City Charter, both the Operating and Capital budgets, Fleet Management and Human Resources.

Dr. Brenda Hatfield

Chief Administrative Office

Dr. Hatfield was appointed to the position of CAO just two weeks prior to the largest weather related disaster in United States history, Hurricane Katrina.  Earlier she served as Director of Intergovernmental Relations for Mayor Nagin. When over 80% of the city was flooded by storm water, Dr. Hatfield as CAO immediately established a temporary base of operation in Baton Rouge for essential city personnel to begin the monumental task of coordinating emergency relief funding for the citizens and government of New Orleans.  When the immediate crisis was over, Dr. Hatfield led a team of key personnel to quickly amend the city’s budget to reflect a totally devastated revenue base.  

Since Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Hatfield has worked side-by-side with Mayor Nagin to establish the Office of Recovery, worked with the city’s Homeland Security to build an outstanding Office of Emergency Preparedness, and worked with the Sanitation Director to collect thousands of tons of hurricane debris and to provide new and pristine trash collection services to residents and businesses. In 2007, she garnered the services of Public Financial Management, Inc. (PFM) to reform the city’s entire budget process by Budgeting  for Outcomes.  

Prior to joining the City of New Orleans, Dr. Hatfield served as Director of Governmental Affairs and Local Programming for Cox Communications and managed the award-winning Cox 10 productions and programming department.  Over 18 years she worked in the New Orleans Public School System as Director of Instructional Media, Technology and Communications.  She also held management positions in the public library systems of New Orleans and Hamilton, Canada.   Her career began as Spanish teacher in New Orleans and Washington, D.C.

Dr. Hatfield holds a Ph.D. in Education from LSU, a master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Toronto and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Social Studies Education from the University of New Orleans.  She is a Fellow of the Institute of Politics, Loyola University.   She also studied at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Howard University, Xavier University and University of Southern Mississippi.  Throughout her career, Dr. Hatfield has been recognized for academic achievement, leadership and community service.