In a move designed to enhance her mission to positively serve Arizonans, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the following changes to her leadership team through a late afternoon press release on March 31, 2023
“Will Gaona will serve as the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff;
Jennifer Loredo will serve as the Director of Policy, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs;
Tracy Lopes will serve as the Director of Community and Constituent Engagement;
A new Director of Communications will be announced next week.”
Gaona had been the Director of Public Affairs. The Deputy Chief of Staff is a new position in the Hobbs Government.
The previous Director of Communications, Murphy Hebert, who worked for the Governor during her tenure as Secretary of State, is moving on.
In a press release from the Governor’s office, the changes came after the “Governor and her team have assessed the administration’s organizational needs, consulted with the National Governors Association, and implemented best practices from other states to ensure they are best positioned to meet the needs of the people Governor Hobbs was elected to serve.”
Commenting to AZ Central’s Stacey Barchenger, Governor Hobb’s Chief of Staff, Allie Bones, explained the changes by stating:
“We’ve hired somewhere between 40 and 50 people in the beginning of this administration. That’s a lot of people, and you kind of need to evaluate and assess as you go along and figure out, how are we best working together and maximizing this team? And we see this as the best maximization of everyone and where their strengths are…We’ve been talking with the National Governors Association and looking at best practices from other states. This is is actually quite normal that we would do an evaluation of where we are and where we need to shore up and ensure that folks are being maximized to their full potential once we get them here.”
On Hebert’s leaving, Bones commented to Barchenger:
“It was a mutual decision that this was what’s in the best interest of the administration moving forward.”
Later, responding to a request for comment from Blog for Arizona, Ms. Bones echoed some of the remarks she made to Ms. Barchenger, stating: “timing (of the departures) was just part of a first quarter assessment following bringing in between 40 to 50 new people and making sure we had all the right roles and everyone in roles that best suit them.”
She also relayed that she and Mr. Gaona will be assisting Deputy Communications Director Sophia Solis in that area and “we are working on bringing on additional support from other state agencies until the new Communication Director starts.”
The Governor’s Chief of Staff is correct that these transition issues are “quite normal.” There are, more often than not, adjustment periods with many incoming administrations.
Look at Presidential history with Ronald Reagan and Alexander Haig in 1981 and 1982. Remember how the Clinton team in 1993 was not a well-functioning governing machine in its first few months. Historians have mostly looked kindly at most aspects of their eight-year administrations.
Those Presidents were of course aided by strong and competent chiefs of staff: James Baker in Reagan’s case. Leon Panetta, after Mack McLarty, helped right the course of the Clinton Ship. Both made sure the right people were in the right places on the governing team.
Ms. Bones is undoubtedly striving to be in the Baker and Panetta mold.
Looking at history, that is a good thing.
In the end, Governor Hobbs and the rest of her team will be judged if this reorganization along with any future changes and policy initiatives yields positive results for all Arizonans.
Nothing else matters and if Arizonans are better off in four years, these moves will be judged favorably.
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Okay, it’s a blog. I was going to call you out on the fact that she is “reorganizing her leadership team,” as your spin leaves out the fact that some of the reorganization was due to the resignation of her comm director due to promoting gun violence against people, as in direct threat, on social media.
Katie’s own staff member, while she was “running” kept a semiautomatic rifle in his vehicle; but he made it clear she wouldn’t try to take away yours until after the election.
Also, why is she so pro baby killing and so anti death penalty that she won’t perform her duty as prescribed by law?
But this is merely a democrat’s blog, so fairness is optional.
Have a nice day.
You are really falling apart on this one. Can’t you even stay on topic? What do you by discriminate against innocent children? What are you referencing?
Your authorship of Anti-LGBTQ legislation.
So the timing of the departures of the governor’s communication director and spokesperson was just part of a first quarter assessment and had nothing to do with last week’s PR meltdown. How can you say that with a straight face? Doesn’t credibility mean anything to you? Granted none of the dem diehards that read this blog will challenge you but don’t you feel any shame?
Dude, you get caught lying here all the time.
You pass laws that hurt families and children.
Don’t YOU feel any shame?
I rest my case.
OMG you just proved my point but I don’t think you know why.
Shame on you John for not reading the article carefully, especially the references to the historical examples. A knowledgeable reader would have been able to interpret it wisely. One of the other respondents is correct. You are actively looking to discriminate against innocent children. Do you not feel any shame in that?