Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today the appointment of Jeremy Kennedy as her Chief of Staff. Kennedy, who currently serves as co-director of the transition effort along with Ben Grant, also served as Campaign Manager for the Mills campaign.
As Chief of Staff, Kennedy will serve as a top advisor to Governor Mills, directing the Office of the Governor, managing the staff and budget, and coordinating the administration’s agenda across state government, among other responsibilities.
“Jeremy is a world-class strategist, a skilled manager, and a trusted advisor,” said Governor-elect Mills. “His adept leadership and breadth of experience make him well-positioned to serve as Chief of Staff and to help lead the charge as we address the high costs of health care, expand the economy, and improve public education in Maine. I am excited to have him at my side as we undertake this important work on behalf of the people of Maine.”
“I am deeply grateful to Governor-elect Mills for the opportunity to serve the people of Maine,” said Kennedy. “The challenges facing our state are clear: we must lower health care costs, address our workforce shortage, retain and attract young people to the state, and improve our public education system. Under Governor-elect Mills’ leadership, I know we can tackle these serious problems and chart a new and better direction for our state. I look forward to helping her accomplish these goals as Chief of Staff.”
Kennedy served as Campaign Manager for the Janet Mills for Governor campaign, where he helped achieve a historic victory, as Governor-elect Mills won more votes than any governor in Maine history and became the first governor elected to a first term with a majority vote since 1966. Prior to serving as Campaign Manager, Kennedy served as the Director of Advocacy, Maine, at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. He lives in Portland.