Gov. Nathan Deal’s sweeping staffing overhaul offers a glimpse of how he’ll conduct his next four years in office.
Fresh off his re-election victory, the Republican has stocked his second-term administration with some of his closest allies. He stuck with a few choice holdovers despite intense scrutiny. And he’s sought to tamp down other controversies with new assignments.
The governor and his supporters say he rewards loyal supporters with choice positions because he trusts them. But the appointments ignited fresh accusations from critics who have accused him of cronyism and politicizing the highest reaches of governance.
Deal's staff shake-up is a broad overhaul of state government that involves 15 new appointments and two retirements. The Georgia National Guard, the Department of Community Affairs, the state's emergency management agency and the technical college system are all getting new leaders. So is Georgia's tax agency.
Many of the appointments have close ties to Deal and his top aides.
State Rep. Lynn Riley, who was tapped to lead the Department of Revenue, is a Johns Creek Republican who was a fixture on the campaign trail. Maj. Gen. Jim Butterworth, the next head of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, is a former GOP state senator who was tapped by Deal to lead the Guard in 2011.
And Butterworth’s successor will be Joe Jarrard, a 20-year Army veteran whose son Ben worked as a GOP tracker videotaping Democrat Jason Carter during his unsuccessful campaign against Deal for governor.
Other lower-profile agencies are being bolstered with supporters as well. Camila Knowles, who was retiring U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ top aide, is to become the commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. Corinna Robinson, a state disability services ombudsman who is married to Deal spokesman Brian Robinson, will lead an education commission.
The governor, in a recent interview, made no apologies about his tendency to favor those he knows for some top state jobs. He recalled being surprised when he was first elected in 2010 at the hundreds of positions that needed to be filled. It’s been an “ongoing challenge” since then to find the right fit for roles, he said.
“We have constant meetings,” he said. “We try to be as diverse in our selections as possible. But we also want people with knowledge of the boards.”
The positions he's so far left untouched also send a message. Chris Riley, a top Deal aide who sent messages to an ethics agency head probing complaints against Deal's campaign, is set to stay another four years. And Deal backs Harris Blackwood, the head of the traffic safety office, who recently apologized for making inappropriate comments to staffers.
The incoming agency heads are moving into high-profile positions.
As head of the tax agency, Lynne Riley will inherit one of the thornier problems under the Gold Dome — a long-running dispute over as much as $74 million in back taxes owed by Texas-based Copart, a firm that in 2013 bought a salvage yard that Deal co-owned.
And Butterworth will soon be the governor’s go-to on natural disasters and other emergencies that could shape his legacy as Georgia’s leader.
Democrats also see a new opening. During the campaign, Carter pledged to "professionalize" state government, singling out Deal's appointments of Butterworth and Chris Carr, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson who was tapped to lead Georgia's Economic Development Department. They also seized on an analysis that found Deal's appointments to three top boards contributed nearly $1.3 million to the governor and his political action committee.
State Sen. Vincent Fort, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, said this week’s overhaul is a sign that “it’s business as usual at the governor’s office.”
“What you have is political operatives and insiders getting positions. The question I have is how credible are they in terms of executing their duties?” Fort said. “We have seen, time and time again, people getting appointed by Nathan Deal whose resumes are thin. But they are picked because they are connected.”
That strategy is nothing new. Deal’s predecessors have also filled state agencies and key boards with powerful donors and other allies.
“It’s very typical, really,” said Kerwin Swint, a Kennesaw State University political scientist. “Friends and family are always rewarded, regardless of which party controls things. There is always a good bit of turnover in a new term anyway, so new appointees are expected. Governors normally appoint people they know, as long as they are qualified to do the job.”
For two offices, the changes in leadership offer a clean slate.
Charley English, the outgoing head of GEMA, had come under fire for his handling of the Jan. 28 ice storm that turned metro Atlanta into the butt of national jokes. English's stronger performance during a storm that followed soon after quelled some of the criticism he faced. And Butterworth faced internal problems at the Guard, including a whistleblower lawsuit alleging "unethical" conduct.
English, who was demoted to deputy director as part of the overhaul, called it a "mutual decision" with the governor that allows him to spend more time with an ailing family member. He said in an interview that his main role in the new position will be to help smooth Butterworth's takeover.
“He would have been very well justified in firing me after that first storm,” English said of Deal. “He hung with me, and I’m forever grateful for him hanging with me. Just like he’s hanging with me now.”
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