Shad White announced today Charles Woods has been appointed as his Chief of Staff at the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor.
“I look forward to contributing to the important work that Shad White and his team at the Office of the State Auditor are conducting on behalf of taxpayers,” Woods said. “My wife and I are excited to move back home to Mississippi.”
Charles Woods comes to the Auditor’s office from Washington, DC. He has served his home state from Mississippi’s First Congressional District office in various positions since 2015, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mississippi Congressman Trent Kelly. Woods has also served as a commissioned officer in the Mississippi Army National Guard since obtaining an undergraduate degree in Public Policy Leadership from the Sally McDonnell-Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi.
Woods is a Captain with the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team and serves as the Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company Commander. He has commanded an infantry company on deployments to Kuwait, Oman, Syria, and Jordan in support of Operation Spartan Shield. Woods is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and Air Assault School.
“Charles Woods is going to be a critical leader for the Auditor’s office going forward. My goal is to build a team of talented and energetic people to hold fraudsters accountable and bring light to how we spend money as a state. Charles fits that mission perfectly. His experience leading men and women in uniform and his policy experience are the perfect fit for organizing our staff and marching them toward that goal.”
Former Chief of Staff William “Bill” Pope will continue his tenure at the office part-time as Senior Advisor to the Auditor. Bill Pope has been a leader in state government – mostly at the State Auditor’s office – for over 25 years. Pope is credited with writing the state’s Property Officers’ Manual and spearheading efforts to include “Property Agents” in the Mississippi Association of Governmental Purchasing and Property Agents (MAGPPA). The Bill Pope Property Award is given annually by MAGPPA to the state’s most outstanding property officer.
“I’m very grateful Bill Pope will stay and keep his institutional knowledge in the office,” said Auditor White. “Bill has worked at the Auditor’s office, on and off, since the Pete Johnson days, and he’s been one of my closest advisors since I took office, so I’m thankful to keep him close.”
Press Release
6/22/2020
Magnolia Tribune
