![]() ![]() “I can’t imagine the demand that puts on your personal schedule. Noem’s claims of transparency called into question “The governor is hardworking all of the time, and (chief of staff) is a very demanding job,” said former Republican House Speaker Tim Rave, who worked closely with Noem in the Legislature before she won her U.S. representative whose leadership style is characterized as “demanding” by those who know her well. The fact that she left at a time when the chief of staff position was becoming available reflects the turbulent nature of working under Noem, a former state legislator and U.S. Schoenbeck said that Oglesby was a “real talent” and will be missed. Noem’s leadership style can be ‘demanding’ It was a difficult decision to leave, but I’m happy to be back home, close to family, and continuing to advance good policy at the America First Policy Institute.” Gov. Under Governor Noem’s continued leadership, her team will do even more good for the people of South Dakota. I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish, from universal licensing recognition to a historic investment in broadband across the state. Oglesby sent an emailed statement that read: “I was honored to work for Governor Noem and absolutely love the people I got to work with every day. Miller declined an interview request from News Watch. (Miller) is an easy-going guy and probably had the right personality to handle that for as long as he did.” I don’t think it’s a job that has a long shelf life. It’s a tough gig being Kristi Noem’s chief staff. “To have a lack of staffers that know South Dakota and understand the issues – that ought to concern her a lot. “It’s not a concern of mine, but it sure should be a concern to the governor,” Schoenbeck said. The departures of Miller and Oglesby continue a trend of out-of-state staffers coming and going from the governor’s office, detached from the institutional knowledge and relationship-building that past aides leveraged to pursue policy goals. His exit came on the heels of a rocky 2023 legislative session following Noem’s re-election last November with 62% of the vote over Democrat Jamie Smith.Īlso gone is deputy chief of staff Rachel Oglesby, a Maryland native who was seen as Miller’s likely successor before bolting in May to work for the Center for the American Worker in Washington, a division of the America First Policy Institute. ![]() Noem has struggled to find a sixth chief of staff after the June departure of Florida native Mark Miller, her former general counsel and anti-abortion czar who returned to the Pacific Legal Foundation, his former employer. Kristi Noem pulls support for grocery tax measure over jeopardized tobacco money In Noem’s administration, highlighted by a revolving door of key personnel, a dearth of political allies and as much attention to national interests as day-to-day operations in Pierre, keeping one’s distance has become the norm.ĭespite the governor’s strong approval ratings, buoyed by her “freedom”-focused approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators, lobbyists and other political officials interviewed by News Watch point to turbulence behind the scenes in the administration with more than three years left in her second and final term. ![]() In most South Dakota political eras, stony silence between a Republican governor and her party’s most prominent legislator would represent a significant chasm. “The governor made some statements last year that she attributed to me that I thought were not accurate, so I find it more comfortable just to not talk to her.” “I don’t communicate with them, so it doesn’t concern me,” Schoenbeck, a Watertown Republican entering his final legislative session in 2024, told News Watch. Kristi Noem’s administration, including a prolonged search for a sixth chief of staff less than five years after entering office. Lee Schoenbeck, a power broker in the South Dakota Legislature as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, had a telling response when asked about the record pace of staff turnover in Gov. Kristi Noem is shown with former Chief of Staff Mark Miller after giving the State of the State Address on Jan. ![]()
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