July 18, 2011 10:48 PM UTC

Evan Dreyer: Deputy Chief of Staff?

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• by: Colorado Pols

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols, following a day-long marathon of Hancock inauguration coverage, has this interesting political tidbit:

FOX 31 Denver has confirmed that Hancock is close to hiring two deputies who will assist Chief of Staff Janice Sinden, announced last week.

Outgoing Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O’Malley, the daughter of former Mayor Wellington and Wilma Webb, will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff overseeing policy.

And Evan Dreyer, Hancock’s campaign manager and former Gov. Bill Ritter’s communications director, may join the administration as Deputy Chief of Staff for special projects.

Dreyer is still in the vetting process.

Folks, Hancock is smart in bringing Stephanie O’Malley on board. Her service as Denver’s first clerk following the disastrous election in 2006 under the Denver Elections Commission has been marked by general approval. We always thought that the clerkship was an odd job for O’Malley, though. As the daughter of Wellington and Wilma Webb she was born into enough clout to go further than the clerk’s office. On top of that, those that know her best know that she’s both incredibly sharp and politically calculating. She’s also got a JD from DU. In short, she fits the Deputy Chief of Staff mold perfectly and should be ideal for the administration.

We raised an eyebrow when we saw that Evan Dreyer still hasn’t settled in yet. Dreyer, who managed the campaign at least nominally, was well-liked as Press Secretary in Governor Ritter’s administration. We never thought he’d be Chief-of-Staff, but we thought he’d find at least some senior position even after his perceived mishandling of the post-election day prostitution allegations. The fact that Hancock’s campaign manager has yet to be vetted for a spot in the administration is odd, to say the least.