As she prepares to take over soon as acting mayor, City Council President Kim Janey is turning to a Jamaica Plain resident with experience in neighborhood planning and community engagement to lead the transition. Gustavo Quiroga is taking a leave from GraffitoSP, a real estate development and urban design firm where he has worked for seven years, to serve as Janey's transition director.

As council president, Janey is positioned to take over as mayor once Mayor Marty Walsh is confirmed as U.S. labor secretary. According to Janey's office, Quiroga will work with the Walsh team on daily briefings and updates for Janey, convene an advisory committee of leaders and experts from a range of policy areas, and oversee a staffing plan for key full-time senior staff positions.

"Gustavo is an effective, capable organizer who will be instrumental in this crucial time," Janey said. "My focus is on a seamless transition so that we can address the crucial issues facing the residents of Boston. Along with the smart, committed public servants in City Hall, we are ready to meet the challenges of the pandemic head-on, ensure a robust vaccine rollout and begin the equitable economic recovery that our residents need and deserve."

At GraffitoSP, Quiroga led a neighborhood strategy practice focused on neighborhood planning, community engagement, placemaking and retail strategy. He previously held positions at the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation. He serves on the board of the Boston Main Streets Foundation, served as a member of the City of Boston's Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census, and is a member of the progressive Alliance for Business Leadership's board.

Quiroga, who is the son of veteran WCVB reporter Jorge Quiroga, has worked at GraffitoSP for seven years. According to LinkedIn, he was director of operations for the 2013 mayoral campaign of former Boston City Councilor Mike Ross and earlier in his career was a program coordinator for Envirolution and cofounder and CEO of RePlant Building Solutions. Quiroga earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in business administration from Boston University.