Kirsten Rappleye will be appointed as director of First Lady initiatives. In her role, she will oversee the development and execution of Utah First Lady Abby Cox’s initiatives. 

Prior to this appointment Rappleye served as chief of staff to then Lt. Gov. Spencer J. Cox, coordinating his work on more than 30 boards and commissions and policy initiatives related to suicide prevention, mental health, homelessness, women’s leadership, opioid abuse prevention, rural economic development, volunteerism, STEM education and legislative relations.

Rappleye has served in various roles on Utah’s capitol hill since 2012, including as public information officer to Gov. Gary R. Herbert and majority assistant to the Utah State Senate.