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Pence Campaign Staffer And OMB Director Chris Atkins Steps Down

Brandon Smith
/
http://www.ipbs.org/

Governor Mike Pence’s fiscal leadership team is getting a shake-up as longtime advisor Chris Atkins leaves the administration for the private sector. 

Chris Atkins has been with the Pence team since the 2012 campaign, serving as a senior advisor for Pence’s gubernatorial run. 

He’s led the Office of Management and Budget since Pence took office and previously served at the agency under Governor Mitch Daniels. 

Current OMB General Counsel Micah Vincent will take over for Atkins.  Vincent has worked in the Pence and Daniels administrations for years in a variety of roles. 

Atkins is leaving state government for a job at Mainstreet, the nursing home developer run by the son of former State Representative Eric Turner (R-Cicero). 

Turner’s ties to Mainstreet contributed to his ethics investigation and subsequent resignation in November.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.