DOVER, Del. — Gov. Matt Meyer on Thursday announced a leadership transition in his administration, moving Chief of Staff Vanessa Phillips to the role of senior advisor and promoting Deputy Legal Counsel Misty Seemans to Chief of Staff.
“Vanessa Phillips has been an indispensable partner in advancing our agenda,” Meyer said in a statement. “Her steady leadership and commitment to public service have been critical to every milestone we’ve achieved — from historic investments in education to protecting the state’s corporate franchise, building the Hope Center and converting the Hockessin Colored School #107C into a county park. As senior advisor, Vanessa will continue to lend her strategic vision and counsel on our most complex challenges.”
During Phillips’ tenure, the office restarted interagency coordination to combat homelessness, opened the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and led crisis response efforts.
Meyer praised Seemans’ work as deputy legal counsel, citing her “stellar judgment, attention to detail and collaborative spirit.”
Seemans has handled legal analysis on key policies, commutations, immigration issues and legislation involving criminal justice and social justice reforms. She previously served as statewide Family Court supervisor for the Delaware Office of Defense Services, handling trials ranging from misdemeanors to capital murder cases.
Seemans, named one of Delaware’s most influential lawyers by The News Journal in 2023 and a Delaware Today Top Lawyer in 2023 and 2024, also serves as an adjunct professor at Delaware Law School.
The Governor’s Office thanked Phillips for her service as chief of staff and congratulated both Phillips and Seemans on their new roles.