Dayton names lineup of all-female top aides

Mark Dayton's transition to becoming governor shifted into high gear Friday with the hiring of an all-female lineup of top aides to fill his office in St. Paul.

Headlining the list of hires was Dayton's new chief of staff, Tina Smith, who will bring the nickname "the velvet hammer" from City Hall to the governor's office. Smith, who has been aiding the transition, was chief of staff to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and led his campaign for governor.

The governor's chief of staff is one of the most instrumental players advancing the chief executive's agenda. It is an often chaotic job with many facets, from coordinating several dozen commissioners to developing legislative strategies.

"I've asked [Smith] to spearhead our focus on government reform, so that we can deliver the best possible services to taxpayers at the lowest possible costs," Dayton said in a statement.

Her time in the mayor's office was highlighted by efforts to bring interested parties to the table for Rybak's agenda.

Colleagues described Smith as a skilled policy analyst and an agile political hand. Rybak said her nickname reflects a knack for delivering "tough news" without alienating people.

"The chief of staff has to do some tough stuff, but it's helpful to have somebody who can do that in a way that builds relationships instead of breaks them down," Rybak said. "She is definitely not Rahm Emanuel."

Charlie Weaver, Pawlenty's former chief of staff, said Smith's appointment indicates that Dayton is "serious about having an administration that works ... that isn't about taking partisan stands and winning on every issue or not being able to negotiate. Tina Smith is a person that gets things done."

Smith led both Ted Mondale's 1998 gubernatorial campaign and Walter Mondale's brief 2002 Senate campaign following the death of Sen. Paul Wellstone. She was also instrumental in securing St. Paul as the location of the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Outside of politics, Smith spent three years as a vice president at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Smith said in an interview that most of her time recently has been spent interviewing and reviewing prospective commissioners.

"When you're chief of staff, or really when you're any kind of an effective manager, you've got to be able to figure out how to motivate people as well as how to hold people accountable," Smith said. "And I think that's really important and that's what I try to do."

Dayton also appointed several seasoned DFL politicos and campaign staffers to top posts.

Dana Anderson, Dayton's campaign manager and a veteran of his Senate office, will serve as deputy chief of staff. Katie Tinucci, who was Dayton's deputy campaign manager and spokesman, will serve as press secretary.

Incoming deputy chief of staff for communications and outreach Andrea Mokros has held many roles for politicians in Minnesota and Washington. Mokros was recently on the campaign trail aiding DFL congressional candidate Tarryl Clark.

Michele Kelm-Helgen, former chief of staff for Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, will be the deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs. Longtime civil rights and community activist Josie Johnson will serve as co-chair of Dayton's transition. Fatima Villasenor, a bilingual clerk for the Hennepin County Domestic Abuse Service Center, will be a senior aide to the governor.

It's fairly unusual for women to make up the majority of a governor's top aides. Pawlenty has never had a female chief of staff or deputy chief of staff but has hired a few women for other prominent positions.

Also on Friday, Pawlenty's office announced the departure of two officials who took on their roles in 2009.

David Metzen, the director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, is leaving to become provost of Globe University. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Paul Eger is jumping to the Minnesota Association of Realtors.