Deal announces new senior staff

The Office of Gov. Nathan Deal today announced new hires for four senior staff positions.

David Werner assumed the role of chief operating officer of the state in July; Jen Talaber will be promoted to deputy chief of staff for communications effective Aug. 17. Starting in September, Julia Taff will become the deputy chief of staff for legislative and external affairs and Katie Childers will take over as deputy chief of staff for policy.

David Werner, COO
In July, Werner replaced Bart Gobeil, who left for an executive position at the Georgia Ports Authority. Werner previously served as deputy chief of staff for legislative and external affairs and as deputy executive counsel. In the first year of the Deal administration, he worked as a policy adviser on public safety issues. Werner has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, which named him to its 2015 “40 Under 40” class, and a law degree from Emory University. He and his wife, Suzanne, are members at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church; they live in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta.

Jen Talaber, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Talaber will succeed Brian Robinson, who is leaving at the end of the week to start his own communications business, Robinson Republic. Talaber has worked as Deal’s deputy communications director since he began his second term. She began work in his first term as a communications specialist, then spent two years as a communications director in Georgia’s U.S. House delegation before returning to Georgia as the spokesperson for Deal’s re-election campaign. Talaber graduated from the University of Florida. She is a parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church and lives in Atlanta.

Julia Ayers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative and External Affairs
An experienced member of Deal’s legislative affairs team, Ayers returns to the office after a stint as the head of government relations for the Technical College System of Georgia. Ayers served for most of Deal’s first term as the governor’s liaison to the state House members, after working for Deal for Governor, 2009-2010. Ayers has a bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss. She and her husband, Andy, live in Kennesaw.

Katie Childers, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
Childers will replace Erin Hames, who is leaving for the private sector at the end of August to consult on education reform efforts with numerous clients, while continuing to work with Deal on education issues. Childers joined the Governor’s Office in 2011 as the health care policy adviser. A native of Athens, Childers has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Georgia Southern University. She and her husband, Will, live in Atlanta.