By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen announced on Monday several senior staff promotions and new hires within the Senate Majority office, moves he said will strengthen support for the chamber’s 17 Republican members as they pursue their legislative agenda.
Fletcher Montzingo has been elevated to Deputy Chief of Staff after more than a decade in state government, including six years staffing the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees. In his new role, Montzingo will help oversee daily staff operations, advise on tax policy, and provide support for the newly formed Senate Committee on Appropriations & Transportation.
Brooke Huppenthal will join the staff on Sept. 15 as Deputy General Counsel. She will advise the Senate Committees on Judiciary & Elections and Military Affairs & Border Security, while also assisting the Senate Rules Committee. Huppenthal previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in Tennessee and clerked for Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick.
Simone Westbrook Hall has been named Senior Policy Advisor for the Senate Committees on Natural Resources, Energy & Water and Public Safety. She most recently served as Arizona’s Deputy Land Commissioner and has experience in both public and private sector land use and natural resource policy.
Abigail McLain will begin on Sept. 8 as Policy Advisor for the Senate Committees on Finance and Health & Human Services. A graduate of Grand Canyon University, McLain previously worked on the government relations team at Alliance Defending Freedom, focusing on First Amendment policy.
“These new additions and promotions ensure that the Arizona Senate Majority Caucus has one of the most experienced and capable legislative staff teams in the country,” Petersen said in a statement. “They will play an important role in helping us deliver results for Arizona families.”
The updated Majority Staff roster includes:
- Josh Kredit, Chief of Staff
- Fletcher Montzingo, Deputy Chief of Staff; Policy Advisor for Appropriations & Transportation, Finance
- Rusty Crandall, General Counsel; Policy Advisor for Director Nominations, Ethics, Judiciary & Elections, Rules
- Brooke Huppenthal, Deputy General Counsel; Policy Advisor for Judiciary & Elections, Military Affairs & Border Security
- Kim Quintero, Director of Communications
- Alayna Kowaleski, Deputy Director of Communications; Policy Advisor for Federalism, Joint Legislative Audit
- Blaze Baggs, Senior Policy Advisor for Health & Human Services, Government
- Simone Westbrook Hall, Senior Policy Advisor for Natural Resources, Energy & Water, Public Safety
- Emma Blair, Policy Advisor for Education, Appropriations & Transportation, Regulatory Affairs & Government Efficiency
- Abigail McLain, Policy Advisor for Health & Human Services, Finance, Government
- Gina Jenkins, Senior Executive Assistant
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
