Aaron Willard
 |
Is this person no longer a chief of staff? Please contact us with any updates. |
2018 - Present
2025
6
float:right; border:1px solid #FFB81F; background-color: white; width: 250px; font-size: .9em; margin-bottom:0px;
} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }
Aaron Willard (Republican Party) is the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Missouri. Willard assumed office in 2018. Willard's current term ends on January 13, 2025.
Willard is a political advisor in the state of Missouri. As of June 2018, he was the chief of staff for Gov. Mike Parson (R). Previously, he worked as the director of intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce and as a White House liaison for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.[1]
Career
Early career
Willard graduated from the University of Missouri in 2004. He received a master's degree in public affairs from the University of Missouri in 2007. He obtained a graduate certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship from Stanford Continuing Studies in 2016 and earned a master's degree in predictive analytics from Northwestern University in 2017.[1]
Willard worked as the chief of staff for the speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2010 to 2011. He was the executive director of the Missouri House Republican Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2012. In 2013, he began working as a division leader for Pelopidas. In 2014, he left Pelopidas to work for the Missouri Senate Commerce & Energy Committee. In 2016, he worked as the state director for the Trump presidential campaign. He also worked as a communications director for the U.S. House of Representatives. He became a public liaison for President Trump's inauguration committee and then served as a White House Liaison for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In April 2017, he became the director of intergovernmental affairs for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Willard is also a principal of a personal consulting business, Stratagem, LLC.[1]
Mike Parson chief of staff
Willard was named chief of staff for Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) in June 2018, shortly after Parson succeeded former Gov. Eric Greitens (R), who resigned from office.[2]
Chief of staff
- See also: Gubernatorial chiefs of staff
In 2018, Ballotpedia identified Aaron Willard as a gubernatorial chief of staff. A chief of staff is the lead staff member of an administration and is responsible for implementing the governor's agenda.
The role is both a managerial and advisory position, although specific duties vary by each administration. The chief of staff typically has the following responsibilities, according to the National Governors Association (NGA):[3]
- Control access to the governor and manage the governor's calendar;
- Monitor the flow of information to the governor on policy issues;
- Oversee gubernatorial Cabinet and staff; and
- Manage and communicate the governor's policy agenda to the state legislature and the public.
In terms of policymaking, the NGA notes that a chief of staff is responsible for bringing policy and communications together: "The chief is responsible for overseeing the development of the governor’s policy agenda. The policy director or advisor is typically responsible for shaping the general concepts and specific details of the agenda with input from the communications director, policy staff, and cabinet members. The chief often must take charge and bring the pieces together coherently."[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
