Mayor Greg Nickels has announced the appointment of Christopher Williams, current Seattle Parks and Recreation acting deputy superintendent, as the interim superintendent.

Williams will serve as interim superintendent until the mayor's nominee, Timothy Gallagher, is confirmed by the city council.

Betty Jean "B.J." Brooks, who has been acting superintendent since February, announced her resignation.

Williams is a 14-year veteran of Seattle Parks and Recreation. He became interim-deputy superintendent in February after the retirement of Ken Bounds. Prior to that Williams was the division director for the operations division, a 500 employee division responsible for the day-to-day operation of 25 community centers, 10 swimming pools, three environmental learning centers and the routine maintenance and operation of 400 parks in Seattle.

"I am honored to serve as interim superintendent," Williams said. "I have spent the past 14 years serving in the Seattle Parks Department and loving every minute of it. This is a great opportunity to continue to make a difference for the people of Seattle."