Today Mayor Michael R. Helfrich is pleased to announce the appointment of Collin Holder to the position of Chief of Staff for the City of York. Holder will replace Philip Given who served as Chief of Staff since January 2018.
“Collin Holder has a background in bringing people and organizations together to produce results. I have witnessed his work ethic, and I am certain he will be able to manage the problem-solving and communication tasks that fall upon the Chief of Staff,”Mayor Helfrich said. “Philip Given has been indispensable to me and our city. He has been a rock during emergencies, and a consistent advisor in all of my decisions as mayor. We wish him the best of luck in the private sector.”
Holder joins the City of York from The Parliament Arts Organization where he served as Executive Director since June 2018. Holder, a native of Macon, Georgia, has had a career based in collaboration and creativity while providing operational management structure to organizations. He served as Director of Operations for Macon Georgia’s Cherry Blossom Festival, a month-long celebration bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the city of Macon. Holder currently serves on the Board of Directors for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, as well as the York Fringe Festival, and serves on the President’s Creative Advisory Council for the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
Holder’s focus as Chief of Staff will include managing the communications for the City of York, serving as liaison between the Mayor’s office and community partners, and providing support to city leadership in their commitment to best serve the residents and businesses of York. One of his primary goals is to continue to foster an environment where all members of our community have a platform to be heard by city officials. “I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to work alongside Mayor Helfrich and his team,” Holder said. “My goal is that through collective impact, bringing people and organizations together to achieve social change, we can develop long-term, meaningful solutions for the City of York.”
Holder will begin serving as Chief of Staff on June 7th, 2021. Given served the city as Chief of Staff from January 2018 until April 2019 when he was appointed Acting Director of Economic and Community Development. He reassumed his title as Chief of Staff in September of 2020. In his roles he managed the city’s day-to-day communications, including the public response surrounding the tragic deaths of firefighters Zachary Anthony and Ivan Flanscha. As Director of Economic and Community Development he led the department through a period of stabilization, including the launch of the city’s first online permit center and the COVID-19 pandemic, during which he managed an interdepartmental response
