Terry England and Chris Riley: Good News for the Gold Dome

Speaker Jon Burns just made two smart moves. Terry England shifts to help finalize the new legislative office building, and Chris Riley drops the “acting” label and stays on as chief of staff. That is a double dose of competence.

First, Chris. I have more experience than most in getting my skull cracked by Riley. Not literally, but anyone who has walked into his office unprepared knows the feeling. He has a way of asking one question that exposes every hole in your plan, then sending you back to your desk like a dog who ate the homework. I still have phantom pains from one of his calendar invites titled “Follow up.” Translation, bring your numbers, bring your rationale, and bring an aspirin. Georgia is better run when Chris is in the building, and the Speaker just locked down a pro who knows where every wire is buried.

Now Terry. He is an inspiration. After a brutal farm accident and a rehab stint at Shepherd Center, he fought back, returned to public service, and kept doing the hard, unglamorous work that actually moves Georgia forward. That kind of grit is rare. Terry has always had a soft spot for Georgia history and I am already picturing what that means for the new office building. Expect Dahlonega-gold trim where the budget allows, a conference room named “The Great Compromise” with a plaque about Abraham Baldwin’s pivotal role at the 1787 Convention, peach pits encased in the terrazzo for good luck, and a break area nicknamed The Okefenokee where everyone gets lost for five minutes trying to find the coffee. If he sneaks a counties map into the floor tile, I will applaud it.

This is a win for steady leadership. Riley will keep the trains on time. England will make sure the new digs tell a Georgia story while staying within the numbers. Congratulations to both men. The rest of us will show up with our homework done, helmets buckled, and try not to track red clay onto Terry’s new floors.