Mayor-Elect Thomson Names Mill Head of Operations as Deputy Mayor: Gretchen Knapp to oversee daily operations of City Hall

The Mill today announced Gretchen Knapp, Head of Operations, will be leaving December 31 to start a new position as Deputy Mayor of the City of Bloomington. Bloomington Mayor-Elect Kerry Thomson published her leadership team appointments on Friday, December 1. As Deputy Mayor, Knapp will oversee the daily operations of City Hall. 

“This role is a perfect match for Gretchen’s and interests,” said Pat East, Executive Director of The Mill. “She excels in optimizing processes and building systems, and in such a large organization, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so. As the second-in-command, her decisions will significantly impact both the organization and Bloomington, and I’m confident that Gretchen’s thorough approach will lead to excellent outcomes.”

Knapp was hired at The Mill in April 2020 as Head of Marketing. In 2022, she became the Head of Operations as well. Prior to The Mill, Knapp worked for five years as a consultant and for nearly a decade at Solution Tree, a K-12 professional development provider, in leadership roles. A former entrepreneur as well as executive, Knapp graduated from Kalamazoo College and holds a masters from Indiana University. 

“I’m thrilled to join the expert team Mayor-Elect Thomson has put together to build an even better Bloomington for everyone,” said Knapp. “I’ve lived here in Bloomington for over 30 years and am honored to serve the community I love.”