SGA executive secretary appointed chief of staff

SGA President Jonathan Sachs appointed a new chief of staff this week to replace Matt Verghese, who is ineligible for the position next semester.

Amanda Schreier, who currently serves as the Student Government Association's executive secretary, was appointed by Sachs on Wednesday.

Verghese, a senior economics and electrical engineering major, was appointed by Sachs in April after the SGA elections, but is completing his undergraduate degree this month and will be ineligible to serve in the position next semester. Verghese will remain at the university as a graduate student.

Schreier, a sophomore government and politics and marketing major, ran for the business legislator position last year on the House Party ticket, but was not elected. She applied for and was appointed executive secretary by Sachs, a member of the Students Party, last May. Her experience this semester is something that both Sachs and Verghese say makes her uniquely qualified to fill the position on such short notice.

"She is in one of the few positions that works closely with the executive branch, and she probably has the best perspective as far as our programming and other proceedings are concerned," Verghese explained. "I am very confident she can step into the job and do a great job on day one."

"A lot of time and thought was put into the decision," Sachs added. "Amanda is a future leader in the organization; she knows how things work. It was an easy choice, and it is easy for her to stay in this capacity."

Schreier said she accepted the position of chief of staff with the idea that she entered the SGA with the goal of rising quickly through the organization.

The position comes with additional responsibilities and duties, such as making sure there is good communication within the organization and helping Sachs with advocacy efforts in Annapolis. While Schreier said that was a major concern, she also said she had to only make a few sacrifices.

"I have always prided myself on being able to have really good time management skills," Schreier said. "I will, however, have to disassociate myself with some of the groups I am in so I am able to put 100 percent effort into the SGA."

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