Executive Leadership Team

The Office of the Governor is led by the governor’s executive leadership team – these members are appointed by the Governor. The Chief of Staff is the director of the office. As outlined in the Washington Constitution and Statutes, the team supports the governor by fulfilling a wide range of duties, leading the implementation of the governor’s policy and management initiatives.

As Chief of Staff to Governor Ferguson, Shane Esquibel supervises the executive leadership team and oversees the operation of the Governor's Office. Before joining the Governor's Office, Esquibel served as Chief Deputy Attorney General at the Washington state Attorney General's Office, supervising six legal Deputies, the Solicitor General, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer. Esquibel also provided legal advice to the Attorney General.

Esquibel began his public service as an Assistant Attorney General. He also served as a staff attorney and senior labor negotiator for the Office of Financial Management and the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Washington State Department of Health before returning to the Attorney General's Office. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Utah and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Idaho State University.

Kristin Beneski | Chief Legal Counsel

As Chief Legal Counsel to the Governor, Kristin Beneski provides legal advice to the Governor and manages the office’s clemency and judicial appointments processes. Beneski previously served as the First Assistant Attorney General at the Washington state Attorney General's Office, serving as legal advisor to the Attorney General and providing advice and representation in significant legal matters, including litigation against the federal government and defending reproductive rights. Beneski also supervised the AGO's Racial Equity Unit, and previously served as a section chief in the AGO's Complex Litigation Division.

Before joining the Attorney General's Office, Beneski was an associate at the law firm Lane Powell PC (now Ballard Spahr LLP). She earned her Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Amherst College.

Franklin Plaistowe | Chief Operations Officer

As Chief Operations Officer, Franklin Plaistowe works closely with cabinet agencies and boards and commissions. Plaistowe assists the agencies with advancing the Governor’s priorities. Before joining the Governor's Office, Plaistowe served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Washington Attorney General's Office, where he previously served as an Assistant Attorney General in both the Labor and Personnel and Social and Health Services Olympia divisions. Plaistowe has also served as a human resources manager for the state Department of Revenue, as well as a section chief and labor negotiator for the Office of Financial Management before becoming OFM's State Human Resources Director. He holds a Juris Doctor from the Gonzaga University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from San Francisco State University.

Brionna Aho | Communications Director

Brionna Aho oversees the Governor's communications and constituent services teams. She previously served as communications director for the Washington state Attorney General's Office, leading a five-person team that handled the agency’s external communications, media strategy and event preparation for the Attorney General.

Aho was a print and multimedia journalist prior to joining the AGO. As a reporter, Aho worked for local newspapers covering local government, health and science, and crime and courts. Aho holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Washington.

K.D. Chapman-See | Director, Office of Financial Management

K.D. Chapman-See was appointed director of the Office of Financial Management by Governor Bob Ferguson in January 2025. Chapman-See brings more than 16 years of experience working in and around the Legislature, including more than a decade with the Washington State House of Representatives where she served as policy director, and a senior analyst for the state operating budget and tax policy for the House Democratic Caucus. Most recently, she managed external government relations for OFM as the agency’s legislative affairs liaison. She is deeply committed to public service and passionate about the ability of state government to improve the lives of Washingtonians and build a more equitable future. Chapman-See holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. 

Debbie Driver | Legislative Director

Debbie Driver joined Governor Ferguson's team in June of 2025. She has an extensive background working with elected officials, including serving as former Governor Inslee’s Transportation Senior Policy Advisor, the Washington State Department of Transportation Legislative Relations Director, and as a policy and fiscal analyst with the Washington State House of Representatives. In that role, Driver served as both caucus and non-partisan staff to multiple committees, including Transportation, Appropriations, Higher Education and Energy.

Prior to joining Governor Ferguson's team, she served as the Northwest Division Government Relations Director at HNTB where she oversaw the firm's government relations in Washington, Colorado and Utah. Driver has an undergraduate degree from Western Washington University where she studied history and social studies and received a teaching degree. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, where she teaches a Legislative Relations course each fall  to aspiring public policy leaders.

Sahar Fathi | Chief Impact Officer

As Chief Impact Officer, Sahar Fathi focuses on progressive, proactive policy work, in direct partnership with community and elected leaders. She previously served as Policy Director for both the Governor's Office and the Washington state Attorney General's Office. At the AGO, Fathi oversaw the growth of a small policy team into a large division working on topics ranging from jail standards to artificial intelligence to youth mental health. Fathi has been adjunct faculty at both the University of Washington law school and Seattle University. She previously served as Division Director for the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Policy, Strategy and Programs Lead for Seattle's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, and as a Senior Legislative Analyst for the King County Council.

Fathi holds a degree in International Law and Legal Studies from the Université Jean Moulin, a master of arts in International Studies from the University of Washington and bachelor's degrees in French and International Relations from the University of Southern California. Fathi earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law. 

Kenneth Martin | Policy Director

Kenneth Martin oversees a staff of 17 policy advisors who work with agencies, organizations and legislative partners to advance the Governor’s policy goals. Before Joining the Governor’s Office, Martin most recently served as Director of the American Indian Environmental Office at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Joe Biden. This office leads the Agency’s effort to protect human health and the environment in Indian Country. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Martin served for six years as Senior Policy Advisor on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works covering infrastructure and environmental issues.

Before serving on the Senate EPW Committee, he was appointed by President Obama to be the first-ever Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tribal Government Affairs and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Before joining the Obama-Biden Administration, he served for several years on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs under Chairwoman Maria Cantwell and Chairman Jon Tester. Martin began his career in 2004 in the personal office of U.S. Senator Tim Johnson. He studied Political Science at the University of Wisconsin Madison. He is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and grew up on the Menominee Indian Reservation, where he is a descendent.