RALEIGH (AP) — First Lady Ann McCrory has named a former Republican campaign worker as her new chief of staff.
Kristen Fields helped organize Gov. Pat McCrory’s inaugural ball in January and served as the director of North Carolina Women for Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee. Fields, 28, was promoted from her prior position as the governor’s social media director. She will be paid $60,000 per year, a 71-percent raise from her prior salary of $35,000.
Governor’s office spokesman Ryan Tronovitch says the scope of Fields’ duties will be greatly expanded in her new role, including managing the first lady’s policy initiatives, daily schedule and operations at the Executive Mansion.
Fields’ new salary is $10,000 less than that of her predecessor, who left for a private sector job.