Washington • Rep.-elect Ben McAdams has hired his former deputy mayor Nichole Dunn as his new chief of staff as he prepares to join Congress.
McAdams, who is resigning his post as Salt Lake County mayor, announced Monday he picked Dunn, a longtime trusted aide, to lead his new congressional office. She previously served as McAdams' deputy and the county’s chief administrative officer from 2013 through 2015 and had also worked as then-Mayor Peter Corroon’s top aide from 2009 through 2013.
“Nichole is the finest example I know of a public servant who contributes to her community with tireless enthusiasm and a deep commitment to working across the political aisle to solve problems and achieve progress,” McAdams said in a statement. “She is an accomplished leader and will be very effective in this position.”
Dunn is currently the vice president of innovation and community impact for Results for America, a bipartisan nonprofit aimed at urging policy leaders to use data to solve problems.
McAdams, a Democrat who pitched himself as a moderate to voters, touted Dunn’s ability to work across the aisle in her past positions, a skill that he says will come in handy in his office.
“I am thrilled to hear Nichole will be serving Utah again,” said GOP Salt Lake County Councilman Richard Snelgrove. “She was an asset to Salt Lake County and always great to work with. I am confident that Nichole will serve the residents of the 4th Congressional District with the same level of intelligence, diplomacy, and efficiency.”
Dunn lives in the Washington area with her husband, Donald Dunn, a former Utah Democratic Party chairman and member of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign finance team, and their two children.