Who Josh Shapiro's picked for his cabinet and senior staff when he becomes Pa. governor [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Jan. 13—As Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro prepares to take office on Jan. 17, he's assembling a cabinet and senior staff to execute his agenda.

Shapiro, the state attorney general, has tapped some key personnel from the AG's office to join him in Harrisburg. He's also appointed current and former government officials and others with private sector experience from across the commonwealth.

Here's a rundown of some key appointments Shapiro has made thus far.

Chief of Staff: Dana Fritz

A longtime Shapiro adviser, Fritz ran his campaign and worked in the Attorney General's Office before that. She was deputy campaign manager for Shapiro's 2016 bid for AG. Shapiro said she'd been his "most trusted advisor for years."

Secretary of Education: Khalid Mumin

A Philadelphia native, Mumin has been superintendent of the Lower Merion School District for a little more than a year. He was previously named Pennsylvania's superintendent of the year for his work in Reading.

Secretary of State: Al Schmidt

Schmidt, a former Philadelphia commissioner, gained national prominence during the 2020 election as a Republican election official who affirmed the integrity of the vote count despite attacks from then-President Donald Trump.

Budget secretary: Uri Monson

Monson is the longtime chief financial officer of the Philadelphia School District. He was previously CFO of Montgomery County when Shapiro was a commissioner there.

Secretary of Policy and Planning: Akbar Hossain

Hossain is executive director of Shapiro's transition team and worked on the gubernatorial campaign as policy director. Before that he was an associate at the law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP.

Secretary of Legislative Affairs: Mike Vereb

Vereb, a Republican former state representative, worked for Shapiro as director of government affairs in the AG's office.

General Counsel: Jennifer Selber

As a top Shapiro aide in the AG's office, Selber served as executive deputy attorney general overseeing the criminal division.

Secretary of Environmental Protection: Rich Negrin

A one-time top aide to former Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Negrin most recently worked as a vice president at Commonwealth Edison, the largest electric utility in Illinois.

Secretary of Health: Dr. Debra Bogen

Bogen is a pediatrician and the director of the Allegheny County Health Department.

Secretary of Human Services: Val Arkoosh

Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist, served with Shapiro on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. She has chaired the board since 2016.

Secretary of Labor and Industry: Nancy Walker

Walker worked for Shapiro in the Attorney General's Office, serving as first chief deputy AG of the Fair Labor section.

Secretary of Community and Economic Development: Rick Siger

Siger joins the administration from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he is chief of staff to the president. He held multiple roles in the Obama administration, serving in senior positions at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Commerce Department.

Secretary of Transportation: Michael Carroll

Carroll is a former longtime state representative from Luzerne County in northeastern Pennsylvania. He was the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee from 2018 to 2022.

Secretary of Banking and Securities: Sarah Hammer

Hammer is managing director of the Wharton School's Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance, which describes itself as "the premier research, education, and thought leadership institution in the world for financial technology and blockchain."

She's also senior director of Wharton's Harris Alternative Investments Program, and previously worked in the U.S. Treasury Department from 2016 to 2017.

Secretary of Revenue: Pat Browne

Browne served as the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 2014 to 2022. A longtime senator from Allentown, he lost reelection last year in a GOP primary.

Secretary of Administration: Neal Weaver

He's currently acting secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development under Gov. Tom Wolf.

Secretary of Agriculture: Russell Redding

Redding has served as secretary of the agriculture department since he was appointed to the position in 2015 by Gov. Tom Wolf. He previously held the post under former Gov. Ed Rendell.

Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources: Cindy Dunn

Dunn has led the agency since she was appointed secretary in 2015 by Wolf.

Secretary of Drugs and Alcohol: Latika Davis-Jones

Davis-Jones is senior director of behavioral health at Highmark Wholecare, a Medicaid managed care provider in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Secretary of Aging: Jason Kavulich

Kavulich is currently Lackawanna County's director of the Agency on Aging.

Insurance Commissioner: Mike Humphreys

He's held the role on an interim basis since last spring.

State Police Commissioner: Major Christopher Paris

Paris has served in the State Police since 1999, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2020.

Secretary of Corrections: Laurel Harry

Harry has worked in the Department of Corrections for more than two decades, most recently serving as acting western region deputy secretary.

Director of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency: Randy Padfield

Padfield has led the agency since 2019.

Adjutant General: Major General Mark Schindler

Schindler was confirmed as adjutant general by the state Senate in June 2021, leading the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and overseeing the Pennsylvania National Guard.

State Fire Commissioner: Tom Cook

Cook has served as assistant fire commissioner and previously led the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy.

Deputy chiefs of staff:

1.

Larry Hailsham Jr., executive deputy chief of staff

2.

Joseph Lee, deputy chief of staff for Administration and Opportunity

3.

Lindsey Mauldin, deputy chief of staff for Health and Human Services

4.

Danielle Okai, deputy chief of staff for Economic Development

5.

Michael Pipe, deputy chief of staff for Public Safety

6.

Sam Robinson, deputy chief of staff for Consumers and the Environment

7.

Tori Shriver, deputy chief of staff for Education and Workforce Development

Staff writer Abraham Gutman contributed to this article.

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