Kenya Merritt is the Chief Small Business officer and First Deputy Commissioner of the City of Chicago. In this role, she is responsible for managing the city’s economic policies and programs for small business and nonprofit organizations. She also leads public engagement and community relations and oversees various programs relating to the support of Chicago’s small businesses. Before stepping into her current role, Merritt was the Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She has more than 20 years of experience as a public service executive and leader of organizations with multimillion dollar budgets. Additionally, Merritt sits on the board of the Fredrick Douglass Entrepreneurial Development and Leadership Institute and is Vice Chair of the City Point Community Church. She is also a Leadership Greater Chicago Class of 2022 Fellow. Merritt earned her Master of Science in public service management from Depaul University.