The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, Kenyen Brown, has named John Cherry to be the office’s new criminal chief, the Mobile Press-Register reported.

Cherry replaces Maria Murphy, who has served in the position since 2008.

Most recently, Cherry played multiple roles in the office, serving as the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council coordinator, crisis management coordinator and in other functions.

He has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2002 and previously was in private practice and worked in the Mobile County District Attorney’s office.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office, Tommy Loftis, told the newspaper he did not know whether Cherry would continue to serve in several capacities, as the posts “take up a ton of time.”

Brown was sworn in a year ago this month, as Main Justice reported, and is the first black U.S. Attorney in Alabama.