Gianforte cabinet takes shape

HELENA — Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte has begun to assemble his cabinet, naming a slate of officials with Montana roots and administrators from Republican circles in other parts of the country to fill director-level positions at state agencies.

Gianforte, the first Republican to serve as Montana governor in 16 years, will be sworn in Monday. On the campaign trail, he promised to bring new leadership to state agencies in order to keep state spending in check and build what he has described as “a culture of customer service.”

As of Dec. 31, incoming governor had named directors for eight state agencies:

Department of Agriculture

Gianforte on Dec. 23 named current USDA Farm Services Agency state Executive Director Mike Foster as his Department of Agriculture director.

Foster, who was appointed to the USDA post in 2018, is a Townsend native who served in the Montana Legislature in the 1990s and also worked for the administration of Gov. Judy Martz and as a hospital lobbyist. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Carroll College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Montana.

Foster’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by Montana Grain Growers Association Executive VP Lola Raska, Montana Farm Bureau Federation Director of National Affairs Nicole Rolf, and Montana Stockgrowers Association President Jim Steinbeisser.

Department of Administration

Gianforte on Dec. 29 named Misty Anne Giles as director of the state Department of Administration, which provides back-office services for other state agencies.

Giles has held several roles at the USDA, including as chief of staff for USDA’s rural development office. She previously worked for former Georgia governors Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal. She has a J.D. degree from the University of San Diego and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Georgia Southern University.

Giles’ appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by former DNRC director Karen Fagg, former USDA rural development director Charles Robison, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Department of Revenue

Also on Dec. 29, Gianforte named longtime state Department of Revenue lawyer Brendan Beatty as the agency’s next director.

On staff at the department since 1996, Beatty has worked on legal issues regarding natural resource taxes, property taxes, income taxes and the breakup of the Montana Power Company. A Shelby native, he has a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara and a law degree from the University of Montana.

Beatty’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by incoming budget director Kurt Alme, longtime Montana tax attorney Terry Cosgrove and Montana Taxpayers Association Executive Director Bob Story.

Department of Labor & Industry

On Dec. 30 Gianforte named Laurie Esau as commissioner of the Department of Labor & Industry, which among other responsibilities manages the state unemployment insurance program.

Esau previously served as chief of staff for former Minnesota congressman Erik Paulsen and as a deputy commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Esau’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by Paulsen and Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines.

Department of Natural Resources & Conservation

Gianforte on Dec. 30 named Amanda Kaster as director of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Kaster is a former aide to Montana U.S. Rep. and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and has worked for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in roles dealing with timber management, oil and gas production and grazing programs. She graduated from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania.

Kaster’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Chief Conservation Officer Blake Henning, Montana Petroleum Association Executive Director Alan Olson and Montana Stockgrowers Association President Jim Steinbeisser.

Department of Environmental Quality

Also on Dec. 30, Gianforte named current DEQ Air, Energy, and Mining Division Administrator Chris Dorrington as the agency’s next director.

Dorrington has worked at DEQ since 2016 and previously spent a decade working for the Montana Department of Transportation. He is a Helena native who has an engineering degree from Gonzaga University and a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University.

Dorrington’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by Colstrip-area state Sen. Duane Ankney, former Department of Transportation Rail, Air Quality, and Studies Section Supervisor Diane Myers and Sandfire Resources America VP of Communications Nancy Schlepp.

Department of Military Affairs

Gianforte on Dec. 31 appointed Major General Pete Hronek to serve as Montana’s Adjutant General and director of the Montana Department of Military Affairs.

Hronek, a pilot, is currently an officer in the Air National Guard at the Air Education Training Command in Texas. He has served three combat tours out of air bases in Saudi Arabia and Iraq and previously served as Montana’s assistant adjutant general and chief of staff for the Montana National Guard.

Hronek’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Cari Kent, Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, and Nels Swandel, a retired Army colonel and former state legislator.

Department of Transportation

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Gianforte on Dec. 31 appointed Billings construction company executive Mack Long as director of the Montana Department of Transportation.

Long previously managed JTL group, a Billings-based construction company, and owned an oil field services business. A Billings native, he has a construction engineering degree from Montana State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Montana.

Long’s appointment was applauded in the administration’s press release by Montana Petroleum Association Executive Director Dave Galt, former MDT Aeronautics Division Administrator Debbie Nohrton and Montana Contractors Association President Bob Warren.

Gianforte has yet to announce directors for the Department of Corrections; the Department of Commerce; Fish, Wildlife & Parks; and the Department of Public Health and Human Services.