Governor Doug Ducey announced a round of four new appointments to various roles within his administration. This comes after a serious of vacancies near the end of 2019.
Read the announcement below.
PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey today announced staffing updates to various positions in the Governor’s Office and at the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA). The changes include:
- Charles “Chuck” Podolak will serve as Governor Ducey’s Natural Resources Policy Advisor, a position previously held by Hunter Moore.
- Emily Rajakovich, who currently serves as Director of Boards and Commissions in the Governor’s Office, will become the State Human Resources Director at ADOA.
- Trista Guzman-Glover, who currently serves as Director of Constituent Services for the Governor’s Office, will replace Emily Rajakovich as the Director of Boards and Commissions.
- Lauren Bouton, who currently serves as a Policy Assistant for the Governor’s Office, is being promoted to a new position: Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement.
“I am grateful for the dedicated, hardworking team we have in the Governor’s Office and throughout state government,” said Governor Ducey. “Their talent and drive are directly reflected in the significant results we have achieved over the last five years to move our state forward and expand opportunity for all. I look forward to working together to get more positive results for Arizonans in the years ahead.”
Chuck Podolak joins the Governor’s Office from the Salt River Project, where he serves as Director of Water Rights and Contracts. Prior to this position, Podolak served as the Natural Resources Policy Advisor for Senator Jeff Flake. He received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy, as well as a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Fluvial Geomorphology at Johns Hopkins University. He also served as an officer and fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1995 to 2005.
Emily Rajakovich joined the Governor’s Office in December 2017 as Director of Boards and Commissions. During her time with the Governor’s Office, Rajakovich administered hundreds of board appointments and developed the Universal Licensing Recognition policy, making Arizona the first state in the country to recognize out-of-state occupational licenses for Arizona residents. Prior to that, Rajakovich was the Senior Program Manager for the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. She received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Juris Doctor at the University of Arizona.
Trista Guzman-Glover has worked at the Governor’s Office under Governor Ducey’s administration for five years in various roles, most recently serving as the Director of Constituent Services. Guzman-Glover is also a Flinn-Brown Fellow. She received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Master of Public Administration at Arizona State University.
Lauren Bouton has worked at the Governor’s Office since October 2018. Before that, she served as Federal Affairs and Outreach Manager at R Street Institute, Policy Associate for Facebook as well as Alumni Relations Specialist and Junior Recruiter for the Charles Koch Institute. Bouton received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government at the University of Arizona.
