Herbert C. Sims, Jr. Named City HR Director; Rebekah Williams Named
Dept. of Neighborhoods Director

Jane Cheeks, who has spent the last 10 years as the City of Houston’s Director of the Human Resources Department, has announced her retirement.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed Herbert C. Sims, Jr. as the City’s new Director of Human Resources, and Rebekah Williams as Director of the Department of Neighborhoods.

“I want to thank her for her extraordinary contributions to the City of Houston and invite you to join me in recognizing her years of dedicated service,” Whitmire said in an email announcing Cheeks’ retirement. “I am confident the HR Department will continue to serve Houstonians with excellence.”

Sims and Williams have a track record of dedicated commitment to Houstonians.

“Both leaders bring valuable experience and a strong commitment to public service to their respective roles,” Whitmire said of Sims and Williams.  “I look forward to their leadership as we continue advancing the City of Houston’s mission and providing excellent service to our employees, residents and communities.”

Sims served as the Director of the City of Houston’s Department of Neighborhoods since 2024. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Assistant Director of Neighborhood Services–Budget & Finance from 2021 to 2024, and as the Finance Division Manager for the Department of Neighborhoods from 2018 to 2021.

Before joining the Department of Neighborhoods, Sims spent 16 years (2002–2018) with the City of Houston’s Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office, where he advanced through several positions ranging from Counselor to Staff Analyst.

In these roles, he provided case management and counseling to at-risk and disenfranchised young adults and later developed and monitored grant-funded programs supporting gang-involved and justice-impacted youth. Herbert has dedicated 23 years to public service, including over 22 years with the City of Houston, bringing extensive experience in community engagement, youth intervention, financial stewardship, and municipal program administration.

Sims graduated from Texas A&M University with  Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications and a minor in Political Science. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston–Downtown.

Williams is a Houston native with more than a decade of experience in communications, media, community relations and public service. She has spent nearly three years in Mayor Whitmire’s administration as the Senior Advisor for Community Relations. In that role, she has connected residents, faith-based institutions, nonprofits and civic leaders with city government, managed special projects, addressed community concerns, and helped Houstonians navigate municipal services.

Williams served as Communications Supervisor in the Mayor’s Office of Communications under the Turner administration.

As the mayoral liaison to the Ministers Advisory Board to the Mayor, Williams works alongside  Councilmember Willie Davis and Board President Pastor F. N. Williams II to empower faith leaders with access to city government and resource information to educate and impact their congregation and community.

She is renowned for her “Fix It” approach to solving problems. Williams played an integral role in bringing stakeholders together to create and produce Houston’s historic MLK Unity Parade under Mayor Whitmire’s leadership.

Williams holds a B.A. in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University and an M.A. in Professional Communication and Digital Media from Texas Southern University, where she teaches Business and Professional Communication as an Adjunct Professor.