2 top DeSantis aides depart governor's office to help 2024 effort

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Two top aides to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are leaving the governor’s office to assist in his bid for the White House.

Communications Director Taryn Fenske and Stephanie Kopelousos, the governor’s long-time director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs, are departing. Fenske confirmed that they’re both leaving.

Fenske will be moving to Never Back Down, the super PAC aligned with DeSantis, while Kopelousos will be heading to DeSantis’ 2024 campaign operation.

Fenske has been DeSantis’ top communications staffer for more than two years and came from the Florida Department of Education. During the 2018 cycle, she worked as the Florida communications director for the Republican National Committee.

Kopelousos, who is from Jacksonville, worked on Capitol Hill before heading to Tallahassee. She served as Department of Transportation secretary under then-Gov. Charlie Crist. After Gov. Rick Scott was elected in 2010, she returned to northeast Florida, where she was hired as Clay County manager. DeSantis tapped her as his legislative affairs director in December 2018.

It's not clear who will succeed either Kopelousos or Fenske. But DeSantis’ Wednesday schedule showed that he was meeting with Deputy Communications Director Jason Mahon.

The DeSantis administration announced in late May that Alex Kelly, who has been deputy chief of staff, would be leaving to become secretary of the newly reconfigured Department of Commerce.

A version of this first appeared in Florida Playbook. Sign up to receive the newsletter here.