Jake Ketzner
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Is this person no longer a chief of staff? Please contact us with any updates. |
| Jake Ketzner | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Role: | Former chief of staff |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | University of Iowa |
| Prior Experience | |
| Kim Reynolds gubernatorial administration, 2017-2018 | |
Jake Ketzner is a Republican political advisor in the state of Iowa. He was the chief of staff for Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) from May 2017 to June 2018. He resigned effective June 8, 2018, to pursue opportunities outside of state government.[1]
Career
Terry Branstad advisor
After graduating from the University of Iowa, Ketzner began working in politics with former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.[2]
Field organizer, 2010
During Branstad's campaign for governor in 2010, Ketzer was an organization director for Reynolds and Branstad. After they were elected, he became a policy advisor in the office of the governor.[3] During this time, he also managed Steve King's (R-Iowa) 2012 campaign for U.S. House.[4]
Campaign manager, 2014
During Branstad's 2014 re-election campaign, Ketzner served as the campaign manager. His efforts focused on building coalitions throughout the state and grassroots support. In 2013, prior to the re-election announcement, he told The Iowa Republican of their strategy, saying, "Governor Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Reynolds are putting an emphasis on building a robust organization throughout the state. The organization we are building will be ready to hit the ground running should the governor and lieutenant governor decide to seek reelection, and help elect Republicans up and down the ticket in 2014."[5]
Legislative liaison
In December 2014, after Branstad's re-election, Ketzner was named the governor's legislative liaison. At the time, then-Lt. Gov. Reynolds said, "Jake’s strong work ethic and focus will be an asset in his new role in our office. With important work to be completed in the 2015 legislative session, we’re eager to have Jake join our team as legislative liaison."[6] In August 2015, Ketzner departed the administration to pursue opportunities in the private sector, according to The Iowa Statesman.[7]
Private sector
From August 2015 to May 2017, Ketzner served as vice president of LS2group, a marketing and lobbying firm in Iowa.[8]
Kim Reynolds chief of staff
On May 24, 2017, Reynolds announced that Ketzner would serve as her chief of staff. In a statement on her staff hiring, Reynolds said, "From the beginning, I’ve promised Iowans a seamless transition. I am pleased that such a number of incredibly talented individuals have answered the call to serve our state this way."[3] He resigned effective June 8, 2018.[1]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Jake Ketzner as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[9]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[9]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Jake Ketzner'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KCRG, "Iowa governor announces chief of staff departure, new hire," June 1, 2018
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Jake Ketzner," accessed August 18, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Office of Gov. Kim Reynolds, "Gov. Reynolds announces Jake Ketzner as chief of staff," May 24, 2017
- ↑ Bleeding Heartland, "Weekend open thread: New leaders and new traditions," May 28, 2017
- ↑ The Iowa Republican, "Branstad-Reynolds Campaign Committee Adds Four Field Directors," July 30, 2013
- ↑ The Iowa Republican, "Former A.G. Candidate Adam Gregg Appointed State Public Defender; Ketzner Named Legislative Liaison," December 9, 2014
- ↑ The Iowa Statesman, "Staff moves made in Governor’s Office," August 21, 2015
- ↑ Bleeding Heartland, "Key Iowa Republican budget negotiators eager to leave Capitol," August 26, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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