WA’s governor-elect Ferguson names senior staff

Bob Ferguson speaks to the crowd at a Washington State Democratic Party gathering in Seattle, on election night, after winning the governor's race. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard)

Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Thursday named the eight people who will serve as his executive leadership team when he takes office as governor next year.

The individuals and their future jobs are Mike Webb, chief strategy officer; Shane Esquibel, chief operations officer; Kristin Beneski, chief legal counsel; Sahar Fathi, policy director; Jaime Martin, external relations director; Joyce Bruce, legislative director; Franklin Plaistowe, deputy chief operations officer and Brionna Aho, communications director.

All currently hold key posts in the Office of the Attorney General except Martin who is executive director of government affairs and special projects for the Snoqualmie Tribe.

There will not be a chief of staff as Webb and Esquibel will report directly to Ferguson.

Webb, Ferguson's chief of staff since 2017, will guide policy, legislative, and communications work and handle strategy. Esquibel, deputy attorney general since 2016, will oversee agencies represented in the cabinet.

Beneski, the first assistant attorney general, is the lead attorney on Washington's lawsuit that argues current restrictions on mifepristone are unlawful. Fathi and Bruce are the current policy and legislative directors respectively, and will do the same job in the governor's office.

Plaistowe, chief human resources officer for the attorney general's office, will help manage executive operations in the Ferguson administration. Aho, Ferguson's current communications director, will handle the same duties when Ferguson moves to the executive office.