Shuster Welcomes New Chief of Staff: Rob Simms Takes Over as Shuster's Top Aide
Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster has named Rob Simms to be his new Chief of Staff, replacing Jeff Loveng as his top aide.
Loveng had been on leave since August from Shuster’s staff providing strategic political advice to Republican congressional challengers in Pennsylvania and to the National Republican Congressional Committee. After the election, Loveng founded his own strategic political and government affairs consulting firm called Vandor Strategies.
“I have the utmost respect for Jeff Loveng. His exemplary management of my office helped me navigate the challenging environment of Capitol Hill,” Shuster said. “Jeff’s keen political skill enabled me to be a more effective legislator and his work behind the scenes this past election was a major reason for the great success the Republican Party had in Pennsylvania.”
“I, along with my entire staff will miss Jeff, but we are pleased that he has taken this opportunity to strike out on his own, and I am sure he will be successful in his new endeavor,” Shuster added.
Rob Simms has taken over the job of Chief of Staff, effective immediately. Simms is a seasoned political expert with over a decade of experience in the private sector as well as state government. Simms has valuable experience in political strategy, having worked as Vice President of a political consulting firm focused on electing Republican candidates for state and federal offices in Virginia. Simms also served as President of Persuasion Public Strategies where he was the Chief Strategist for Karen Handel’s campaign for Governor of Georgia. Most notably, Simms served as the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia where he managed a 400 employee agency with a $38 million annual budget. His depth of experience and success in politics earned Simms the recognition of being one of Georgia’s “40 under 40” most influential leaders in business and politics.
“Rob is a great choice for Chief of Staff for so many reasons,” Shuster said. “His years of political and managerial experience make him ideal for the job. With the Republican Party back in the Majority in the House in the next Congress, I will need someone who can help me take advantage of the new political landscape to maximize the benefit to the people of the 9th District. Rob’s advice and leadership will be a valuable asset moving forward and I welcome him to the staff.”
