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SALT LAKE CITY — Sen.-elect Mitt Romney has filled key staff positions in his Senate office with a mix of national, state and local experience, including an outgoing elected official.
The Utah Republican announced Thursday the hiring of Matt Waldrip as chief of staff, Kelsey Berg as deputy chief of staff, Adam Gardiner as state director, and Liz Johnson as communications director.
Romney, who is replacing retiring GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch, will take the oath of office Jan. 3.
Waldrip, a Brigham Young University graduate, ran Romney's recent Senate campaign and previously worked as a senior adviser to outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan's fundraising committee. Waldrip also worked at Solamere Capital and was deputy finance director on Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.
Berg served as political director on Romney's Senate campaign. A BYU graduate, Berg has also worked for former Utah GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz and the Utah Farm Bureau Federation. She also has worked in state government affairs dealing with energy issues.
Gardiner has served as Salt Lake County recorder for the past year but lost his bid to retain that job in November. He also served a year in the Utah Legislature. Before his time in elected office, Gardiner served as a campaign manager and aide for Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah.
A veteran communications strategist, Johnson has worked for Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine. In early 2018, she served as spokeswoman for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. She most recently led U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's public affairs office. Johnson is a graduate of St. Michael's College in Vermont.
