Jindal staff shake-up announced

In two weeks, Gov. Bobby Jindal will have a new budget advisor and a new chief of staff.

The governor’s chief of staff, Stephen Waguespack, announced his resignation Monday, severing career ties with the governor that began during the 2007 campaign.

“From the beginning of our work to build a better Louisiana, Stephen has been by my side as a trusted advisor and a friend. He helped shepherd through monumental policy reforms that will have a lasting and positive impact on our state,” the governor said in a prepared statement.

Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater will replace Waguespack on Oct. 14.

Replacing Rainwater will be the governor’s deputy chief of staff, Kristy Nichols.

Both Rainwater and Nichols have held different jobs within the Jindal administration.

Rainwater was executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversaw the spending of 2005 hurricane dollars, before becoming the governor’s deputy chief of staff. As commissioner, he was Jindal’s budget advisor.

Nichols worked as a policy advisor before serving as secretary of the state Department of Children and Family Services for more than a year.