Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam today announced Rachel Lundeen as the new chief of staff to the first lady. Ms. Lundeen has been a member of Ms. Haslam’s staff since January 2011, serving as special assistant and policy advisor to the first lady.
“I am thrilled that Rachel is taking on this new role,” Ms. Haslam said. “She has been an important member of my staff since Bill took office and I trust her knowledge, professionalism, hard work and experience.”
Christi Gibbs, Ms. Haslam’s former chief of staff, will now serve as executive director for NGA Nashville 2014.
“It has been an honor to serve Tennessee under the leadership of Governor and Mrs. Haslam,” Ms. Gibbs said. “As a new parent, I will continue to assist the Haslams as they host our nation’s governors in Nashville and showcase our great state in August 2014.”
Before joining the first lady’s staff in January 2011, Ms. Lundeen worked on Governor Haslam’s campaign and transition team. Prior to joining the Haslam administration, she worked as an interim child policy researcher at the Children’s Rights Alliance in Dublin, Ireland and assisted in federal government affairs at the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D.C.
“I am grateful to Mrs. Haslam for this opportunity in the First Lady’s Office,” Ms. Lundeen said. “My goal is to ensure that our team continues to be a helpful, productive complement to the Governor’s Office as we work to support the Governor’s education initiatives and manage the Tennessee Residence.”
Ms. Lundeen is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and is a graduate of the University of Tulsa College of Law and completed her final year of law school at Vanderbilt University Law School. She has a master’s degree in Public Policy from Peabody College at Vanderbilt, and a B.S. in Human Development from Auburn University. She is an active participant in the Nashville community and currently serves on the board of CASA Nashville, Inc.