DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a former lawmaker and state Republican Party chairman to run the Iowa Department of Administrative Services. Reynolds announced today (Thursday), that Jim Kurtenbach will begin work July 1 as director of the agency, which handles human resources, maintains the Capitol grounds and buildings, buys state vehicles and manages state payroll. The department has been without a director since last month when Janet Phipps Burkhead left after failing to win Senate confirmation to continue in the job.

Kurtenbach served two terms in in the Iowa House, losing in the 2006 general election. He was Republican Party of Iowa chairman from 2009 to 2011. He resigned as chief information officer of Iowa State University in November 2017 after some questioned his appointment to the $250,000 a year job without a typical hiring search.