Stephen Smith (Tennessee)
| Stephen Smith | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Role: | Former chief of staff |
| Location: | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Education: | •University of Tennessee, Knoxville •Nashville School of Law |
| Prior Experience | |
| Bill Haslam gubernatorial administration, 2017-2019 | |
Stephen Smith is a Republican political advisor in the state of Tennessee. He served as chief of staff to Governor Bill Haslam (R) from 2017 to 2019.[1] He previously served as a senior advisor to Haslam from August 2016 to November 2017.[2][3]
Career
Education and early career
Smith received a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a J.D. from the Nashville School of Law. He worked for the Tennessee School Board Association until 2011, when he joined the Tennessee Department of Education. Smith worked at the Department of Education, where he rose to the position of deputy commissioner for policy and external affairs, until August 2016.[4]
Smith joined the staff of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam (R) in August 2016 as Haslam's senior advisor for policy and strategy. In February 2017, Haslam named Smith as his senior advisor, in which capacity he served as the governor's key strategist.[4][3]
Bill Haslam chief of staff
Smith succeeded Jim Henry as Haslam's chief of staff in November 2017. Henry continued to work for Haslam as his deputy advisor.[2]
"Stephen’s experience, knowledge of state government, and commitment to great outcomes make him well suited for the role of chief of staff," said Haslam in a press release. "I greatly appreciate all he has contributed and our entire team is excited to have him in this role."[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2017, Ballotpedia identified Stephen Smith (Tennessee) 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):[5]
- 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."[5]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Stephen Smith' Tennessee. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ WSMV, "Tennessee governor names Stephen Smith as new chief of staff," November 10, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 TN.gov, "Haslam Names Stephen Smith Chief of Staff," November 9, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nashville Post, "Haslam announces two staff moves," February 6, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Times Free Press, "Haslam names Stephen Smith as new senior policy advisor," July 25, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 National Governors Association, "The Many Roles of the Governor’s Chief of Staff," accessed April 20, 2021
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