Three months after Minneapolis officials fired the city’s civil rights director for shortcomings, the mayor has announced his nomination for the office’s next leader.

Michelle Phillips, the inspector general for the city of Oakland, California, was announced Wednesday as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s choice to be the city’s new director of the Department of Civil Rights.

Phillips has served as Oakland’s inspector general since January 2022 and, before that, was the deputy inspector general of investigations in Baltimore. In those roles, she’s been tasked with leading teams focused on investigating fraud, abuse and other misconduct in the cities.

Frey highlighted that experience and focus on accountability in announcing Phillips’ nomination, adding, “Her deep experience and community-oriented approach is the right fit to lead the Minneapolis Civil Rights Department.”

Minneapolis City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher added that Phillips’ “leadership and change management expertise will benefit the City of Minneapolis at a critical moment for our Civil Rights Department.”

If approved, she’d take over an office that several staff members expressed concerns about, according to city documents. Those concerns, which also included former director Alberder Gillespie, centered around a lack of information sharing, training and leadership and also noted a large backlog in police review cases.

Just two weeks before Gillespie was terminated, the city and Minnesota Department of Human Rights agreed on a nonprofit to oversee its compliance with court-ordered reforms. Those court-ordered reforms stem from findings of a “pattern and practice of race discrimination” by the city and its police department following an investigation in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, which includes the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review, plays a key role in implementing those reforms and also is in charge of investigating discriminatory practices and enforcing the city’s ordinance code. The police review agency has also been under interim leadership since February.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the next Director of Civil Rights,” Phillips said. “This is a critical time for civil rights, and I am dedicated to working with all stakeholders as we move towards a more just and equitable Minneapolis.”

The Minneapolis City Council will now schedule a public hearing regarding Phillips’ nomination before taking a vote on her confirmation. If approved, she’d start her new role in July.