Mayor Turner Appoints General Services Department Director

HOUSTON- Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner, along with members of Houston Council, voted unanimously to confirm the appointment of  Clyde J. "C.J." Messiah, Jr., as director of the General Services Department for the City of Houston.

"I have had the pleasure of working with C.J. over the last year," said Mayor Turner. "He is a man of his word and knows how to get the job done, and I am confident in his ability to lead this Department. I look forward to working with C.J. and the great City employees that work in the General Services Department to ensure that the lights come on in our buildings and that our facilities are clean, well-maintained and secure."

Mr. Messiah has served as interim director of the department since November 2016 and joins the Mayor's executive team with more than two decades of law enforcement experience. Mr. Messiah had been the deputy assistant director in charge of security for the General Services Department since June 2016. As director of the General Services Department, Mr. Messiah is tasked with coordinating the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the department budget, training employees and establishing policies and procedures for the department.

Mr. Messiah has more than 23 years of experience with the Houston Police Department and served as Sergeant of the Mayor's Protection Detail Division for 11 years. Mr. Messiah also served as Technical Sergeant, Staff Sergeant and Airman Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has worked as a security consultant with the Major League Baseball Organization for 16 years.

The General Services Department oversees maintenance, construction and security management services for more than 400 city facilities.