Alan Wilson announces transition staff as his administration prepares to take office
(WCIV) — South Carolina Gov.-elect Alan Wilson announced members of his transition staff as his administration prepares to take office in January.
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, seeking to become the state’s next governor, speaks with reporters after casting his ballot in the Republican primary runoff elections on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Lexington, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
The staff will help coordinate the incoming administration’s priorities and manage the transfer of responsibilities, Wilson’s office said.
“The people of South Carolina elected Senator Reichenbach and I to bring meaningful change to state government, and that work starts with putting the right people in place,” Wilson said. “This team brings the experience, dedication, and work ethic needed to ensure a smooth transition and prepare my administration to hit the ground running on day one.”
Who is on the team?
Whitney Michael will serve as executive director. She has been Wilson’s chief of staff in the state attorney general’s office since 2024, after serving as a senior adviser. Before joining the office, she worked on policy, advocacy, campaign and fundraising efforts.
Michael earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the University of Texas Permian Basin.
Thomas Hydrick will serve as general counsel. He previously was South Carolina’s solicitor general, representing the attorney general and state in litigation. He also practiced law in Columbia and Washington, D.C., and clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr.
Hydrick earned degrees from Furman University, the University of Cambridge and Vanderbilt Law School.
Claire Brady will serve as communications director. A Rock Hill native, she was deputy campaign manager for Wilson’s gubernatorial campaign and previously worked for the attorney general’s office, the South Carolina Republican Party and political consultants.
In the attorney general’s office, she helped lead efforts to address AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Brady is a University of South Carolina graduate and lives in Lexington County.
Other transition staff members are Dylan Baldassare, Patton Byars, Hank Dillard, Dillion Harris, Ian Lichacz, Trevin McKoy, John Moore, Jamie Shuster and Woods Wooten.
The staff will work with Wilson’s previously announced transition team on priorities including the Families First Audit Initiative, making life more affordable, strengthening the state’s economy and increasing accountability in state government.
