Interim clerk appointed to Cook County Clerk's Office following Yarbrough's death

CHICAGO - An interim clerk has been appointed to the Cook County Clerk's Office following the recent death of Karen Yarbrough.

Chief Deputy Clerk Cedric Giles will fill the role until a duly elected clerk is sworn into office on Dec. 2, after the Nov. 5 presidential general election, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office. 

Giles has served as the chief deputy clerk since Dec. 2018, when Yarbrough was sworn into office as the first African American and the first woman to hold the county clerk's office. 

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During his time as the chief deputy clerk, Giles managed the day-to-day operations of the county clerk's office and more than 350 employees. He has also worked with the annual budget of $75 million, officials said.

Before he was the chief deputy clerk, Giles worked in executive-level management positions in the former Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office and the Cook County Comptroller's Office, according to city officials. 

He graduated from Howard University with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Giles also attended Northwestern University and obtained an M.S. in managerial communications.