The Alabama Lieutenant Governor’s Office announced Thursday that deputy chief of staff Jesse Skaggs has been named Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth’s next chief of staff.
Skaggs, a former deputy commissioner for external affairs under John McMillan in the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, is scheduled to assume duties as chief of staff beginning Oct. 1, according to an announcement released by Ainsworth on Thursday.
“Jess Skaggs has already accomplished great things at a young age, and I am proud to announce he will become my office’s Chief of Staff on October 1,” Ainsworth said in a statement on Thursday. “His success in drafting and passing 22 bills that have made Alabama the nation’s most welcoming state for military families and veterans is just one example of his hard work. I look forward to accomplishing even more great things on behalf of Alabama with Jess leading my staff.
Skaggs assumed the role of deputy chief of staff in 2019, shortly after Ainsworth was sworn in as the state’s 31st Lieutenant Governor.
A graduate of Montgomery’s Huntingdon College, where he studied political science and history, Skaggs began his time in the Alabama state Senate as a legislative aide to former state Sen. State Sen Tripp Pittman, R-Montrose.
Skaggs would later work as the director for the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation Office, working closely with the two senators and five state representatives that the delegation sent to Montgomery.
“Working at this level of state government has been a dream since childhood, and the fact that I get to serve a dedicated, honest, and deeply conservative public official like Lt. Gov. Ainsworth makes this appointment even more special,” Skaggs said in a statement to APR on Thursday. “Lt. Gov. Ainsworth works hard every day to improve the lives, job opportunities, and finances of citizens and families across Alabama, and our staff will continue to support and redouble his efforts throughout my tenure.”
A general consultant, fundraiser, and notable face on numerous political campaigns in the state, Skaggs and his wife, Charlanna, an attorney in Montgomery specializing in business law, have three daughters and one son.
