UtahPolicy has been told that long-time Utah newspaperman Chuck Gates is joining the new management team of state House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper.
Gates will be director of communications and constituent services, UtahPolicy was told.
Gates spent more than 25 years at the Deseret News as a reporter, sports editor and city editor.
When the newspaper laid off half of its editorial staff in 2010 Gates left and soon took a job with the Utah Transit Authority, where he worked in communications and government relations.
Hughes served on the UTA board of directors, several years as chairman. He got to know Gates there.
Hughes won the speakership in a November vote of the House GOP caucus.
He soon hired political guru Greg Hartley as his new chief of staff and reorganized the top House management.
