| State Government
Jill Dutton, Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt Counties’ state representative, spends a lot of time on the road attending various meetings in her jurisdiction, but there are times when she can’t make it to everything.
For those situations, Dutton has put together a highly skilled and experienced team to assist her during her term in office.
Dutton’s Chief of Staff, Jenni Sellers is based at the Capitol. Sellers left her previous organization, Special Olympics Texas, to work with Dutton. Before that, Sellers served as chief of staff for former House District 2 State Representative Dan Flynn.
Sellers handles large constituent cases, and will guide Dutton through the legislative process, as well as setting sets up meetings with governmental relations at various agencies.
“[Sellers] has decades of experience at the Capitol. I’m incredibly lucky she was willing to leave her job and come to serve Hopkins, Hunt and Van Zandt Counties for the remainder of my term in office,” Dutton said.
Dutton has named Brad Johnson, the retired general manager of the Northeast Texas Farmers Co-Op, as her Hopkins County District Liaison. Johnson will fill in for Dutton when she can’t attend various important county meetings and events. Johnson began his new role in mid-April.
“I chose Brad because he’s very active and knows everything about agriculture and about the North East Texas Railroad,” Dutton said. “I’m very dedicated, but I don’t know everything about agriculture. I need someone to help me navigate those areas for Hopkins County, and he’s the perfect person to ask.”
Roxanne Turner, whose nickname is “Miss Hunt County,” is Dutton’s district liaison there. Dutton said of Turner, “She’s very active in the community. I felt it was important to have people who were helpful, who also have their fingers on on the pulse of community, to alert me to issues within the communities of my district.”
Dutton said that, as a Van Zandt County resident, she’s familiar with her home county’s issues, problems and questions. She’s named Elizabeth Cockerham as her District Director. Cockerham will handle Van Zandt County constituent cases, responding to issues, problems and questions, and appearing at meetings, luncheons and ribbon cuttings on Dutton’s behalf. Cockerham’s office is located in the Canton Farm Bureau office.
“I’m the face and the spokesperson,” Dutton said, but my team is the driving force.
We have a phenomenal team. What I don’t know, they will, and what they don’t know, they’ll find out,” Dutton said