Nixon announces Senior Staff, Communications Team

Gov.-elect Nixon Announces Office’s Senior Staff, Communications Team

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Gov.-elect Jay Nixon today announced the appointment of key personnel in the Governor’s office­, including his senior staff and communications team.

“We have assembled a strong team of public servants who are dedicated to changing the direction of our state,” Gov.-elect Nixon
said. “These folks will be instrumental in our efforts to make
government more efficient, effective and responsive to the needs of
Missourians. I know the people of Missouri will be well-served by this
talented, dedicated group.”

Gov.-elect Nixon has named the following individuals to serve in his office:

John Watson, Chief of Staff

John Watson, who has served as Chief of Staff to the Attorney
General since 1997, will serve as Gov.-elect Nixon’s Chief of Staff,
overseeing the operations and personnel of the Governor’s office. Mr.
Watson, of Jefferson City, earned both his bachelor’s and law degrees
from the University of Missouri-Columbia. As Chief of Staff in the
Attorney General’s Office, he has overseen all legislative and
budgetary matters, as well as policy issues involving public safety,
consumer protection, education, health care and government efficiency.
Mr. Watson first joined the Attorney General’s Office in 1993.

Ted Ardini, Counsel to the Governor

Ted Ardini, of Columbia, will serve as Counsel to the Governor. Mr.
Ardini has worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for 16
years. Since 2003, Mr. Ardini has been Counsel to the Attorney General,
and from 1998 to 2003, he was Chief Counsel in the Public Safety
Division. Mr. Ardini earned a bachelor’s in political science from
Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., in 1989 and a juris
doctorate from the New England School of Law in Boston in 1992."

Jeff Harris, Policy Director

Rep. Jeff Harris, of Columbia, will be Gov.-elect Nixon’s Policy
Director. First elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in
2003, he served as House Minority Leader from November 2004 to
September 2007; he was House Minority Whip from November 2003 to
November 2004. Prior to his election to the House, Rep. Harris was an
Assistant Attorney General and head of the Attorney General’s
Governmental Entities Unit from 2001 to 2002. He was an attorney with
the Bryan Cave law firm in Kansas City from 1992 to 2001. Rep. Harris
earned his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in 1987 and his
law degree from the Cornell Law School in 1991. He completed a senior
executive program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government
in 2005.

Mary E. Nelson, Director of Boards and Commissions

Mary E. Nelson, of St. Louis, will serve as Director of Boards and
Commissions, overseeing the screening of applicants and nominations for
Gov.-elect Nixon. Ms. Nelson has practiced law in a variety of
capacities in St. Louis for nearly three decades. Most recently, she
has been an officer in the firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale,
P.C., working in the construction and corporate practice groups. From
2006 until March 2008, she was General Counsel for The Kwame Building
Group Inc., one of the top-35 construction- and program-management
firms in the world. In addition to positions with other private firms,
Ms. Nelson served as General Counsel and Legislative Director for the
Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1996 to 1997; was
General Counsel for the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) from
1993 to 1996; and was Director of Small and Minority Business
Development for the SLDC’s predecessor organization from 1982 to 1986.
Ms. Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1977
and her juris doctorate from the University of Missouri-Columbia in
1980.­

Mayme Young Miller, Director of Constituent Service

Mayme Young Miller, of Jefferson City, will be Director of
Constituent Service, serving as a liaison between constituents,
constituent groups and the Governor. For the past five years, Ms.
Miller has been an Assistant Attorney General in the Financial Services
and Consumer Protection divisions. For the past two years, Ms. Miller
has been Chief of the Consumer Complaint Unit, overseeing complaint
investigators and the Consumer Fraud Hotline. Before joining the
Attorney General’s Office, Ms. Miller was an attorney in private
practice for three years, both in her hometown of Charleston, Mo., and
in Austin, Tex. Ms. Miller earned her bachelor’s degree from Southeast
Missouri State University in 1996 and her juris doctorate from the
University of Missouri-Columbia Law School in 2000.

Dustin Allison, Deputy Chief of Staff

Dustin Allison, of Columbia, will serve as the Governor’s Deputy
Chief of Staff. Mr. Allison began his career in the Litigation Division
of the Attorney General’s Office, defending the state on a variety of
matters, which often involved complex constitutional questions. He has
worked in the Attorney General’s Administration Division for the past
year. Mr. Allison graduated from The George Washington University
School of Law in 2002; he earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Louis
University in 1999.

Nicole L. (Nikki) Loethen, Deputy Counsel

Nikki Loethen, of Jefferson City, will serve as Deputy Counsel to
the Governor. Since January 2007, Ms. Loethen has been the Associate
Solicitor in the Attorney General’s Office. She served as an Assistant
Attorney General in the Governmental Affairs Division from October 2004
until January 2007. Prior to joining the Attorney General’s Office, Ms.
Loethen worked in the office of the general counsel at the Missouri
Department of Revenue. Ms. Loethen earned her bachelor’s degree, Phi
Beta Kappa, from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1994 and her
juris doctorate from the same institution in 1997.

Communications Team

Jack Cardetti, Communications Director

Jack Cardetti, of Columbia, will serve as Communications Director in
the Governor’s office. In August 2004, Mr. Cardetti became
Communications Director and primary spokesman for the Missouri
Democratic Party. In that role, he has served as a key adviser to
statewide officials, legislators and candidates over the past four
years. Prior to joining the Party, Mr. Cardetti was Press Secretary and
a policy adviser in the office of Gov. Bob Holden. Mr. Cardetti first
began his career in Attorney General Nixon’s communications office,
after graduating with a degree in political science from the University
of Missouri-Columbia in 2000.

Scott Holste, of Jefferson City, will be Press
Secretary in the Governor’s office. Mr. Holste has served as
Communications Director in Attorney General Nixon’s office since
September 2004. He was Press Secretary for the Attorney General from
March 1994 until his appointment as Communications Director.

Sam Murphey, of Jefferson City, will be Gov.-elect
Nixon’s Deputy Press Secretary. Mr. Murphey currently serves as Press
Secretary for Gov.-elect Nixon’s Transition Team and was Deputy Press
Secretary for the Nixon for Governor Campaign.

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