Governor picks new hires close to home

Gov. Nathan Deal’s choice to run the Georgia Lottery has no experience running a lottery, but she does have one important qualification: Deal knows and trusts her.

And so Debbie Dlugolenski Alford, formerly the governor’s budget director, last week became the new president of the lottery. Her appointment is emblematic of Deal’s approach to key state appointments; that is, why search the nation if you have a good person close at hand?

Deal’s spokesman says the governor prefers “to find talent in Georgia, to promote from within, to build a sense of teamwork and loyalty.” Deal’s critics, however, say he’s not finding the best people for critically important state jobs because he’s not looking for them.