Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Monday that he would elevate Deputy Chief of Staff Adrain Lukis to serve as his new Chief of Staff.

Holding a press conference at the State Capitol, the Governor said he selected Lukis to succeed Shane Strum, who is departing the Governor’s Office to fill the job of CEO at Broward Health.

“We are happy to have someone I think will do a great job as his [Strum’s] replacement,” DeSantis told reporters at today’s press conference. “For all the hard work Shane did, usually Adrian was right there with him.”

Congratulations to @AdrianLukis @GovRonDeSantis new Chief of Staff. Excellent choice.

— Helen Aguirre Ferré (@helenaguirrefer) March 8, 2021

Lukis has deep roots in Florida’s political scene. He joined DeSantis’s administration after serving as a top adviser to former House Speaker José Oliva. Prior to his stint with Oliva, Lukis served as Deputy Staff Director in the Florida House of Representatives and attorney for the House Economic Affairs Committee. He obtained his law degree from Florida State University where he also completed his undergrad degree in political science and international affairs.

His father, Sylvester Lukis, serves as Managing Partner of Ballard Partners‘ Washington, DC team, advising on a variety of significant federal issues on behalf of both domestic and foreign clients, according to the firm’s website. According to a company spokesperson, Sylvester Lukis does not lobby in Tallahassee.

The younger Lukis will now fill a void left by Strum who is beginning the first day of a three-year contract with Broward Health, where he became the public health system’s latest CEO after beating out three finalists last February. Despite a start date of March 8, Strum will stay on to finish out the week for DeSantis.

Strum served as the Governor’s right-hand man since the beginning of his administration.

Photo Credit: Sylvester Lukis / Adrian Lukis (Twitter)