Sisolak names ex-state senator as new chief of staff

CARSON CITY – Former authorities Sen. Yvanna Cancela is returning to Nevada aft 8 months with the Biden medication to service arsenic Gov. Steve Sisolak’s main of staff, the governor’s bureau announced Monday.

Cancela, who volition commencement Sept. 1, replaces Michelle White, a Democratic run strategist Sisolak tapped arsenic his No. 2 erstwhile helium took bureau successful 2019. White’s departure was announced successful mid-July and volition hap successful mid-September pursuing a modulation period.

Cancela “brings a unsocial knowing of authorities government, argumentation acquisition and the quality to physique wide coalitions,” the politician said Monday successful a connection announcing the appointment.

“Most importantly, I cognize Yvanna is arsenic dedicated arsenic I americium to making Nevada a thriving and vibrant spot to telephone home, and I look guardant to her knowledge, expertise and guidance erstwhile she joins the team,” helium added, thanking White for her service.

Cancela, 33, an aboriginal backer of erstwhile Sen. and Vice President Joe Biden’s statesmanlike bid, resigned her authorities Senate spot successful January to go main lawman manager for intergovernmental affairs astatine Department of Health and Human Services.

She was appointed to the Senate successful 2016 pursuing the predetermination of Ruben Kihuen to Congress, becoming the archetypal Latina authorities legislator and winning the spot successful her ain close successful 2018. She antecedently served arsenic governmental manager for the Culinary national Local 226, the national representing tens of thousands of hospitality workers successful the state. In 2 legislative sessions Cancela established herself arsenic a starring progressive dependable connected wellness attraction reform, sponsoring bills requiring greater terms transparency for asthma and insulin medications and modernizing antiquated sections of authorities termination laws.

Born and raised successful Miami, she holds a bachelor’s grade successful communications from Northwestern University and a instrumentality grade UNLV’s Boyd School of Law.

In a statement, Cancela said she was “honored” to person the governor’s spot “and for the accidental to enactment connected behalf of his unthinkable medication and the much than 3 cardinal radical who telephone this large authorities home.”

“I stay humbled by the accidental to service the authorities I emotion during specified a captious clip arsenic we enactment nether the governor’s imaginativeness to retrieve and travel backmost stronger than ever,” she said.

White headed Sisolak’s modulation squad aft helium won predetermination successful 2018. She had antecedently served the authorities manager for For Our Future, the Democratic grassroots organizing group, arsenic lawman authorities manager for Hillary Clinton’s statesmanlike run and arsenic an advisor to Democratic legislative leadership.

Contact Capital Bureau newsman Bill Dentzer astatine bdentzer@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DentzerNews connected Twitter.