Kemp administration makes staffing changes

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Kristyn Long

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp named a new executive counsel Thursday, part of a series of staffing changes in the governor’s office.

Kristyn Long will become the Kemp administration’s lawyer at the end this month, succeeding David Dove, who is leaving state government to join the prestigious Atlanta law firm Troutman Pepper as a partner. Long has been serving as the state’s chief operating officer.

“Kristyn Long has been essential to our state’s successful response to the unprecedented challenges of the past few years,” Kemp said.

Before taking on her current role, Long previously served as deputy chief operating officer and deputy executive counsel. Prior to joining the Kemp administration in 2020, she worked in private practice, focusing on civil litigation, probate litigation, and estate planning.

Filling Long’s role as chief operating officer will be Russell Crutchfield, who has been serving as chief of staff and associate vice president at the University of West Georgia since 2016. Before that, Crutchfield held several leadership position with state agencies, including the departments of Community Health, Public Health, and Labor.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Capitol Beat.