PIERRE, S.D. – On Jan 27th, Governor Larry Rhoden announced changes to his staff in the Governor’s Office. You can find Governor Rhoden’s staff page here.

“My team is ready to hit the ground running. After careful consideration, I am retaining the vast majority of the current staff and cabinet. They are hard-working folks who are focused on South Dakota,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “However, I am also making some changes.”

Mackenzie Decker will serve as the Governor’s Chief of Staff. Mackenzie has worked for state government for 12 years, joining the Governor’s office over two years ago. She has worked for several state agencies including the Department of Labor and Regulation, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the Department of Revenue. She graduated from South Dakota State University and earned her master’s in administration and organizational leadership from the University of South Dakota.

Matt Michels will serve as Senior Advisor and Counsel to the Governor. Michels previously served as the 38^th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota from 2011 to 2019 under Governor Dennis Daugaard. He was a Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1999-2007, including Speaker of the House from 2003 to 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Dakota (USD) and a Juris Doctorate from the USD School of Law.

“Mackenzie Decker has proven her tenacity as a leader in the office and will thrive as my Chief of Staff. And I am honored to have a strong advisor like Matt Michels joining our team,” continued Governor Rhoden. We are ready to get to work to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.”

Ian Fury will continue in the role of Director of Communications and Unborn Child Advocate, though he will not serve as the Governor’s media spokesperson. A spokesperson has been hired and will be announced in the coming days. In the meantime, please direct media inquiries to Mackenzie Decker at [email protected].

Darin Seeley will continue his leadership as Commissioner of the Bureau of Human Resources and Administration. He will no longer serve as Chief Operations Officer in the Governor’s Office.

Beth Hollatz, who served as Senior Advisor for Governor Kristi Noem, will retire from state government service on February 1. Beth had previously worked with then-Congresswoman Noem for eight years.

Governor Rhoden has made a few other adjustments to staff responsibilities in the Governor’s Office, ensuring an exceptional team is in place to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free. Scheduling requests for Governor Rhoden can also be submitted on the Governor’s website.