Tuesday afternoon many of us learned Bryan Stirling will serve as Governor Nikki Haley’s Chief of Staff. My first fleeting thought was, what a well deserved opportunity for our friend Bryan. Second: Good move by Team Haley. Third: South Carolina may be the big winner.
Here’s where I’m coming from on the latter. I don’t know the former Chief of Staff, Tim Pearson. I do know he carries a political label (naturally), which he duly earned during Haley’s primary run and general election. As he’s to be credited with a big win, this label may have hindered relationship building between the governor and legislature, Democrats and Republicans. I think Bryan will bring more of a policy focus to the job. After all, there’s a big difference between politics and actual policy, and this may smooth an edge.
Bryan Stirling and I have known each other for almost 15 years. From this, my guess is he’ll bring a kind of steadiness and an unlocked quality/feeling to the governor’s office. Legislators and policy wonks, Democrat and Republican, will at very least feel they have an ear to communicate to the executive branch. Gov. Sanford and Haley seemed to have struggled with this over their terms, respectively.
Bryan and I have a professional relationship, as well. When he worked with The McMaster Law Firm and MG&C Law, many of my buyer clients retained him as their closing attorney. Smooth, honest, steady (there’s that quality again), every time.
A big, “Well done” to our friend, Bryan Stirling. Moreover, in my bias, hiring Bryan instantly changes the tone of South Carolina’s state government, which is good for all of us.
Thank you!
FJ
Nikki Haley has been the biggest hinderance to relationship building between the governor and legislature, Democrats and Republicans.
Anyway, do you have any more real estate listings to post? This is your blog to do with as you please but I prefer Will Folks’ site if I want to read about politics. Thanks.