JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt announced yesterday (November 20, 2007) that he has selected Patricia E. Vincent, pictured at left, to serve as his new chief of staff effective immediately.
"Trish is a competent administrator and a dedicated public servant,” Blunt said. “She has tremendous experience and she knows how to lead and manage people. In her new role as chief of staff, Trish will be charged with managing my office, staff and cabinet and helping me move Missouri forward. Specifically, I am directing Trish to continue moving us forward on my priorities for education, job creation, implementing my plan to cover Missouri’s uninsured, fighting illegal immigration to make up for Washington’s failure to act and making state government even more efficient and accountable to taxpayers.”
Vincent, 53 of Jefferson City, since the beginning of the governor's administration has served in the cabinet as the Director of the Department of Revenue. As director, Vincent managed and oversaw the department’s budget and employees. She also worked closely with the General Assembly in representation of the department’s budget and to advocate for legislative changes.
Under her leadership the Department of Revenue collected over $30 million in unpaid taxes to the state with the department’s new tax compliance data warehouse. Vincent helped improve customer service by extending regular business hours at the agency for Missouri customers. The new Internet site she worked to implement is holding accountable businesses that are behind in sales and withholding taxes. And the Internet procedure she implemented is saving Missourians over $1 million annually in postage and printing for driver’s license renewals and motor vehicle registrations.
Prior to her service in the governor’s cabinet, Vincent served as deputy secretary of state for business services when the governor served as secretary of state. Vincent also served as the in-state director and district office director for former United States Senator John Ashcroft.
Vincent commended the work of outgoing Chief of Staff Ed Martin who helped the governor achieve his priorities for education, health care and tax cuts during the last legislative session, helped enact an important job-creation bill and transportation infrastructure legislation during the special session and helped implement the governor’s directives to fight illegal immigration in Missouri. Martin will assist Vincent during the transition.
She and her husband Larry live in Jefferson City and have two daughters.
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Editor's note: While Gov. Blunt initially claimed that he would support Ed Martin, his chief of staff, as he supports efforts to curb illegals from working for state contractors, pressure from a coalition of Hispanic organizations apparently made him change his mind. Martin's comment occurred at an Aug. 17 meeting of the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which awards state tax credits to qualifying developers. At the meeting, Martin was overheard making what appears to be a slight against Mexicans. The alleged comment out of context was that in a workforce where there are "Mexican-looking people, they are likely illegal." The remarks, overheard by Jim Torres, legislative liaison and commission secretary, prompted him to address them in an irate letter to the governor. Torres then allegedly resigned.
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