Gov. Nathan Deal tapped Bert Brantley on Tuesday to serve as the chief operating officer for the state's economic development arm, the second time in months he had filled the job.
The governor had selected David Werner, who was his administration's chief operating officer, for the gig in October. But Deal rehired Werner to be his executive counsel – and gave him a hefty pay raise - weeks later after Ryan Teague's sudden retirement.
Brantley was former Gov. Sonny Perdue’s chief spokesman and, after a stint in the private sector, was hired by Deal’s administration. He worked for the State Road and Tollway Authority before his appointment as head of the Department of Driver Services in March 2016.
He is set to be succeed by Spencer Moore, who has been the department’s deputy commissioner since December 2012. Before that, he spent 14 years with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, including six years as the agency’s deputy director.
Werner wasn’t the only one to get a pay hike. More than a dozen top state officials got hefty raises this year – and many are now making more than Deal.
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