Risch changing governor’s staff, focus

BOISE – Idaho’s new governor named a chief of staff Tuesday, hinted he may replace some state agency heads, and did away with the former governor’s entire staff of policy advisers.

“The position of policy adviser has been abolished,” Gov. Jim Risch declared. “We’ve moved from the policy advisers to a constituent service focus.”

Former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne took heat from legislators over the years for building a staff of highly paid advisers specializing in various policy areas. At one point, that included an education adviser who was paid more than the elected state superintendent of schools – and who had run unsuccessfully for the post.

Risch offered no criticism of his predecessor and said he simply wanted to reorganize his staff to focus on constituent service. The governor’s office hears constantly from Idahoans who want help, including some who can be helped, some who need to be directed elsewhere, and some whom government just can’t help, Risch said.

“In any event, they need a direct answer, they need an honest answer,” he said.

Risch, whose term as Idaho’s 31st governor will run for just seven months, named former state Sen. John Sandy, a former state GOP chairman, as his new chief of staff and named four deputy chiefs of staff below Sandy. All told, his executive office staff is just two fewer than Kempthorne’s, though staff duties have been rearranged.

“We are fully staffed and up and running,” Risch said at his first press conference as governor. “I’m just honored to be able to put together such an outstanding team.”

Barbara Strickfaden, former president of the Idaho Bankers Association and a former Coeur d’Alene resident, will be Risch’s director of constituent services, as well as serving as a deputy chief of staff. She also will oversee the Office on Families and Children.

Brad Hoaglun, former state director of government relations for the American Cancer Society, will be a senior deputy chief of staff and director of communications. Ryan White and Matt Ellsworth are the other deputy chiefs of staff.

Asked if he plans to replace any of the current state agency heads, Risch said: “Come back next week. … Those will all be publicly announced.”

First, Risch will hold a public inauguration ceremony on the state Capitol steps on Friday at noon. He said it will be a “dignified and appropriate ceremony” with minimal cost. Following that, he and his wife, Vicki, will welcome Idahoans to tour the still-vacant hilltop governor’s mansion that billionaire J.R. Simplot donated to the state. Free tickets will be distributed for the Friday afternoon tours; call (800) 543-6992 for more information.

The Risches and private donors will pay for that reception, including rented vans to ferry visitors up the hill. No food will be served, but there will be a chance to meet the Risches and see the house.

Vicki Risch said the first thing people around the state have been asking her is if the Risches will live in the mansion – they won’t. It’s still awaiting a $3 million, privately funded renovation. But she said the second question is when people can see the place – so she decided on a public reception and tours there to mark the inauguration.

“We should be able to accommodate up to 1,000 people,” she said.

Risch has yet to name a lieutenant governor to replace him while he serves as governor but said he’ll do so soon. He noted that the last time there was a vacancy in that office – when it went to then-state Sen. Jack Riggs of Coeur d’Alene – it took Kempthorne 27 days to make the appointment. “It will not be vacant for 27 days this time,” he vowed.

When a reporter asked what he hopes to accomplish as governor given that he’ll be in office only until the first of the year, Risch said amid laughter, “Thank you for reminding me – that slipped my mind.”

He said he has two groups of issues he’ll focus on – those already on the governor’s plate, including writing rules on roadless areas, overseeing GARVEE bonding to upgrade highways, reforming Idaho’s Medicaid program and seeing through Kempthorne’s state park improvement initiative; and “some other things I want to see done.” Risch said he’ll talk about those other things “over the coming weeks.”

“I promise you that Vicki and I are going to give this … our all, give it everything we’ve got for the period of time that I have to be Idaho’s governor,” Risch said. “It’s a tremendous honor.”

In addition to the public inaugural ceremonies and reception, the Idaho Republican Party is organizing privately funded celebrations in Boise, Post Falls and Idaho Falls in the coming weeks. The North Idaho event will be June 9 at 7 p.m. at the Highlands, with a $25 admission price, food and a no-host bar. Individual and corporate donors will fund the GOP events.