Sherry Walker-Cowart starts as the interim executive director of PAB on Friday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sherry Walker-Cowart will start her new role on Friday as the Police Accountability Board’s new interim executive director.

She was formerly the head of the Center for Dispute Settlement, which oversaw the Civilian Review Board. The vote to appoint Walker-Cowart was unanimous.

“One thing that’s really important as we go forward is that the community is looking at us right now and we have new leadership,” Police Accountability Board Chair Larry Knox said. “And we need to show that we can do better than we’ve done.”

The board says it will begin the search for a permanent executive director next year.

Walker-Cowart brings more than 20 years of management experience to the PAB. In addition to her time with the center for dispute settlement, she served as the executive director of Rochester’s Traffic Violations Bureau.

Walker-Cowart worked within the Office of Public Integrity and led the Community Place of Greater Rochester.

After the selection, the PAB Workers United wrote on Twitter:

“PAB Workers United has not been included in the selection or vetting process of this candidate, and is dismayed by the severe lack of transparency involved in the Board’s selection. Two months ago, the non-management staff of the agency requested to be directly involved in the appointment of any new executive director. Instead, a candidate has been identified through an hurried and opaque procedure, and may well be appointed this evening in a process that excludes the voice of the Agency’s workers.”

More about the Police Accountability Board:

• An intervention: Rochester City Council will decide what’s next for PAB (Nov 18)
• PAB votes to terminate Conor Dwyer Reynolds (Nov 17)
• Investigative report faults PAB executive director’s leadership and decision-making (Nov 16)
• PAB addresses plans to unionize for better job protection (Nov. 10)
• More internal strife at Police Accountability Board amid accusations against acting manager (Oct 12)
• Some Rochester City Council members say they didn’t know a PAB member was put on leave (Oct 7)
• PAB loses another member; deputy chief of community engagement fired on Friday (Oct 7)
• Another top Police Accountability Board leader gets suspended (Oct 6)
• PAB wants your input on police disciplinary “matrix” (Oct 4)
• Suspended director of Police Accountability Board loses lawsuit that aimed to reinstate him (Sept 22)
• 111 reports filed with Police Accountability Board in first 30 days (July 20)
• PAB Alliance voices concerns over nomination and budget (June 22)
• PAB Board Chair submits resignation (June 10)
• Police Accountability Board Chair accused of sexual harassment (June 7)
• Police Accountability Board will start taking complaints in June (May 27)
• City councilmembers question PAB and what they are doing with their time (May 24)