Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor-elect Phil Bredesen today announced three appointments to the senior staff of his incoming administration:

Dave Cooley, Deputy to the Governor
Anna Windrow, Senior Advisor to the Governor for Legislation and Policy
Janie Conyers, Chief Administrative Officer to the Governor

Cooley, the director of Bredesen’s gubernatorial transition team, served as senior campaign strategist during Bredesen’s successful gubernatorial race. As the deputy governor, Cooley will work closely with the Governor to ensure the administration’s policies are carried out effectively.

“Dave has a firm grasp on the issues facing Tennessee and a straightforward style of leadership that people appreciate,” Bredesen said. “I value his counsel and I’m glad he’s agreed to join the Governor’s office.”

Cooley, a partner at Nashville public-relations firm McNeely Pigott & Fox, is a longtime Bredesen advisor and a veteran political consultant. He served as chief of staff to Bredesen from 1992 to 1993, during Bredesen’s first term as mayor of Nashville.

Cooley, 40, is a Rockwood native. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Technological University and a master’s degree from the University of West Florida.

Windrow, a veteran government-relations specialist advising Bredesen during the transition, will develop the Governor’s legislative agenda and communicate his policy priorities to lawmakers. Windrow spent the past 14 years in government relations working for a variety of businesses and organizations, including Nashville’s Metro government.

“Anna has a thorough understanding of the legislative process in Tennessee,” Bredesen said. “She is highly respected and highly effective.”

Ms. Windrow spent eight years, from 1988 to 1996, working in the government-relations practice of Nashville law firm Bass Berry & Sims PLC. She previously served as executive director of the Tennessee Building Materials Association. Before pursuing a career in government relations, she worked in the public affairs and marketing departments of First American National Bank.

Ms. Windrow, 51, is a Gallatin native. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of the South, Sewanee.

Ms. Conyers, a longtime aide to Bredesen, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Governor’s office. She has worked with the Governor-elect since 1992, first serving as his executive assistant in the Nashville mayor’s office. Most recently, she served as secretary and treasurer for Bredex Corp., the educational software company that Bredesen sold to McGraw-Hill Digital Learning last August.

“Janie is an indispensable member of my team,” Bredesen said. “It was important to me that she join the Governor’s office.”

Before joining Bredesen in the mayor’s office, Ms. Conyers worked 11 years in Nashville for William M. Mercer Inc., an employee-benefits consulting firm. She has known Bredesen since 1976, when they both worked at Hospital Affiliates International, a Nashville-based hospital management company.

Conyers, 53, is a Clarksville native. She attended Austin Peay State University.