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Del. Todd Gilbert is the Speaker-designee after the Republican caucus chose him to lead their 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates for the next two years. Today, he announced who will be staffing his office.
“I am thrilled to have such capable staff working to help House Republicans as we begin to govern for Virginians,”Gilbert said. “The level of experience present in this team is remarkable, covering the width and breadth of the Commonwealth and the issues that it faces. Each of these people brings expertise to the table that any operation would be jealous of. I have no doubt that they will help us do great things for Virginians.”
Gilbert announced who will be his Legislative and District Director, Director of Operations and Scheduling, Director of Communications, Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel, and Chief of Staff. Here are the names of individuals filling those positions and the descriptions that Gilbert’s office released for each one.
Jeff Walters, Legislative and District Director
Jeff Walters will continue to serve as Speaker-designee Gilbert’s Legislative and District Director, a role he has held for more than five years, monitoring and tracking Gilbert’s legislative agenda through the General Assembly while solving problems for constituents across the Northern Shenandoah Valley. A native of Shenandoah County, Walters has deep connections with the 15th House District which have served both he and Gilbert’s constituents well.
Cecilia Damian, Director of Operations and Scheduling
Cecilia Damian most recently served as the Finance Director of the House Republican Campaign Committee assisting members and candidates fundraising efforts. Before joining the Speaker-designee’s office, she was Finance Director for Former Speaker Kirk Cox’s gubernatorial campaign. A Minnesota native, Damian set records for fundraising for a Congressional campaign with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson from IA-01, and held leadership positions on other congressional and gubernatorial campaigns.
J. Garren Shipley, Director of Communications
Garren Shipley is a long-time Republican communicator, having spent years working with both the Republican Party of Virginia and the Republican National Committee as their spokesman for the Commonwealth. Before shifting to politics, he accumulated a decade of experience as an award-winning journalist working for numerous publications in Virginia and Tennessee.
Lindsay Fisher, Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel
Lindsay Fisher is an attorney with nearly 15 years of experience advising policymakers, candidates, businesses, and other organizations on complex legal, policy, and political questions. Her previous experience includes work as an Associate at an AmLaw100 top ten law firm and serving on former House Speaker Kirk Cox’s gubernatorial campaign as well as in his House of Delegates office. A native of Enon, Lindsay previously served as Chair of the Virginia Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice & Prevention.
Dean Goodson, Chief of Staff
Dean Goodson has overseen the House Republican Caucus’ operation for the last two years, including the political operation this last cycle in which Republicans ran a record number of candidates and regained the majority in the House, despite being outspent by Democrats by a wide margin. Dean’s understanding of the legislature spans many years, having worked for both Speaker Kirk Cox and Delegate Tim Hugo.
“I’m excited to be part of such a great team assisting Speaker-designee Gilbert and the House Republican Caucus,” Goodson said. “House Republicans, working with Governor-elect Youngkin, have a tremendous opportunity in the coming years to deliver real results for Virginians and I couldn’t be more pleased about the staff we’ve assembled to help make that happen.”
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