In her weekly press conference following yesterday’s City Council meeting, Houston Mayor Annise Parker made an announcement that many have been waiting for.  Here’s the story from Katherine Driessen of the Houston Chronicle…

Longtime city lawyer Donna Edmundson has been tapped to replace City Attorney David Feldman, who is resigning, Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday.

Edmundson has been a lawyer with the city since 1986 and most recently served as section chief to the city’s Neighborhood Services division. She would be the first woman in the city’s history to hold the post, Parker said.

“Her experience within the city is deep and broad,” Parker said. “I’m particularly happy that her recent experience has been in the area of neighborhood protection which has been one of my top priorities. She is a hands-on person. She’s out in the field regularly.”

The post must be confirmed by Houston City Council, which is expected to occur in two weeks.  Given her long history with the city, this is unlikely to be a controversial confirmation, though with the current political toxicity surrounding the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the simple fact that it’s now an election year, one can never be too sure.

Though she presumably only has one year to serve in the top job, it promises to be a very busy time for the city’s legal team.  Parker was smart to choose someone from within, as they are already up to speed on the most pressing issues.  Unlike Feldman, Edmundson has spent the whole of her law career in the public sector.  It will be interesting to see how she differs in approach from her predecessor.

“I’m anxious to get to work and ready to hit the ground running” said Edmundson in comments after the Mayor’s introduction.  A good attitude to have, because the ground is moving fast.

Here’s video of the Press Conference, via YouTube…