Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that he is creating two deputy chief of staff positions, after the departure of his former Deputy Chief of Staff Jon Gilmore.
Hutchinson said his director of constituent services, Ateca Williams, will be his deputy chief of staff for internal operations.
Williams was director of special projects for Hutchinson's 2014 gubernatorial campaign, and has worked for the Memphis and Little Rock housing authorities. She is a graduate of Lonoke High School and Hendrix College.
"Ateca is an exceptionally hard worker with leadership qualities that will be a perfect addition to our already strong team," the Republican governor said in a written statement. "Her background as my director of constituent services and her familiarity with the inner workings of our office make her a perfect fit to help us accomplish our goals."
Williams, who is paid $68,149 a year in her current job, will start work in her new job on July 18, and her new salary is still being determined, said Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis.
He said that "after much thought, consideration and feedback, the governor decided to create two deputy positions -- one for internal operations and one for external operations. This move will only enhance communications among staff and office operations as a whole."
Hutchinson said he will appoint a deputy chief of staff for external operations at a later date.
In recent weeks, some lawmakers have speculated that Rep. Bill Gossage, R-Ozark, is in line to be a deputy chief of staff for Hutchinson. Gossage has served in the House since 2013 and is chairman of the House Management Committee.
Davis said "the position of deputy chief of staff for external operations will not be finalized or announced until a later date."
The governor's office is budgeted for 60 positions, and the additional deputy chief of staff position will stay within that allotted number, Davis said.
"It's important to note that since taking office, Gov. Hutchinson's administration has consistently operated below that 60 employee number," Davis said in a written statement.
Hutchinson's previous chief of staff, Michael Lamoureux, departed at the end of May to work in Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist. He and Hutchinson announced his resignation near the end of this year's fiscal legislative session in May.
Lamoureux, a former state senator from Russellville, is a close friend of U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Dardanelle.
Lamoureux's replacement as chief of staff, Alison R. Williams, started work in that job on June 1. She is paid the same salary that Lamoureux received -- $113,212 a year, according to the Arkansas Transparency website.
Since May 2015, she had previously worked in Washington, D.C., as the governor's director of state and federal relations and has worked with Hutchinson in other offices.
In mid-June, Hutchinson announced that Gilmore was departing to establish his own political consulting firm. Gilmore said he had a "natural" interest in Lamoureux's position but that Hutchinson's decision to replace Lamoureux with A̶t̶e̶c̶a̶ ̶W̶i̶l̶l̶i̶a̶m̶s̶ Allison R. Williams* had no bearing on his decision to leave.
Gilmore worked as a political consultant in Arkansas before running Hutchinson's successful 2014 gubernatorial bid.
He made $105,520 a year as deputy chief of staff, and left that position at the end of last month.
Metro on 07/08/2016
*CORRECTION: Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Jon Gilmore said Hutchinson’s decision to hire Allison R. Williams as his chief of staff had no bearing on his decision to leave his governor’s aide position. Williams was misidentified in regard to Gilmore’s reference in this article.