Deal names new incoming executive counsel
Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the departure of Ryan Teague, longtime aide and the executive counsel to the governor. Beginning in January, Teague will enter the private sector and join his family’s business.
“For the past six years, Ryan has been an invaluable asset and a reliable member of my administration,” said Deal. “The role of legal counsel is critical in the governor’s office and I am grateful for his many contributions. During Ryan’s tenure, he helped craft and implement groundbreaking criminal justice reform legislation, spearheaded Georgia’s fight to protect our state’s water, and streamlined and modernized our court system. Ryan’s efforts helped move our state forward in a variety of ways while advancing the lives of Georgians. He will be greatly missed and I wish him well in his new venture.”
Deal tapped David Werner, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), as Teague’s replacement. Werner will assume this position in January 2017.
“David Werner has served the Deal administration in a variety of capacities over the past six years, including on the 2010 and 2014 campaigns as well as in the governor’s official office. Rising from policy adviser to deputy executive counsel to Chief Operating Officer of the state, David has tackled each role with dedication, hard work and expertise,” said Chief of Staff Chris Riley. “David has the necessary skillset, institutional knowledge and executive experience to serve as counsel. He has the complete confidence of the governor and is a natural fit for the job.”
About David Werner
David Werner currently serves as COO of GDEcD and CEO of Georgia Allies. Prior to that, he worked in the governor’s office as state COO, overseeing all executive departments and agencies. A graduate of the University of Georgia and Emory University School of Law, Werner previously served as deputy chief of staff of legislative and external affairs, deputy executive counsel and as the policy adviser on Public Safety. He also held staff positions in both the Georgia House and Senate. Werner served as the co-chairman of the Governor's Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform that made recommendations to the governor and the Georgia General Assembly that have made Georgia into a model state for criminal justice reform.
He is currently a board member of the Georgia Ports Authority, the Jasper Ocean Terminal Joint Project, the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs and is a member of the Federalist Society. In 2016, Werner was selected as a Marshall Memorial Fellow focusing on transatlantic relations. He has been named by the state’s leading legal news publication, the Fulton County Daily Report, to its “On the Rise” class of 2015 and was named to the University of Georgia Alumni Association’s 2015 “40 under 40” list. Werner is also a graduate of Leadership Georgia. He and his wife, Suzanne, have one daughter. They reside in Atlanta and are members of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.