| Post: | Chief of Staff |
| Body: | Puerto Rico |
| Incumbent: | Antonio Pabòn |
| Incumbentsince: | December 20, 2019 |
| Department: | Secretariat of Governance |
| Appointer: | Governor of Puerto Rico |
| Termlength: | At the governor's pleasure |
| Salary: | $137,592 USD[1] |
| Formation: | Executive order proclaimed in virtue of Act No. 104 of 1956 |
The Chief of Staff of Puerto Rico (Spanish; Castilian: Secretario de la Gobernación de Puerto Rico) is the highest-ranking officer in the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico after the governor and the secretary of state. The Chief of Staff leads the Secretariat of Governance and is charged with managing and overseeing almost all executive agencies while assisting and advising the governor.
The duties of the chief of staff vary greatly from one administration to another, and in fact, there is no legal requirement that the governor even fill or create the position. Nevertheless, one of the first acts undertaken by a new governor once he is sworn in, is to issue an executive order proclaiming a new chief of staff. This order also establishes the chief of staff's duties and responsibilities as the governor sees fit. This proclamation is done by virtue of the executive powers vested upon the governor by Article IV of the Constitution and Law No. 104 of 1956, which include the faculty to appoint officers and to delegate functions.[2] [3] [4]
The duties and responsibilities are both managerial and advisory and typically include the following:
Both the Constitution of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican law usually ascribe all executive offices to either the Governor or the Office of the Governor. The Governor then issues an executive order proclaiming the delegation of the management and oversight of such executive offices onto the chief of staff. This proclamation is done in virtue of the executive powers vested upon the Governor by Law No. 104 of 1956 which include the faculty to delegate functions.
The agencies overseen by the Chief of Staff include all the executive departments of the government of Puerto Rico and almost all executive offices created either through an executive order or by law. The Office of Management and Budget and the Planning Board are the only executives offices not ascribed to the Secretariat - both report directly to the Governor.
In view of the fact that the Department of State is led by the Secretary of State, who is of a higher constitutional hierarchy than the Chief of Staff as well as Acting Governor on numerous occasions, as a matter of courtesy Chiefs of Staffs usually do not exercise oversight regarding that Department as they exert over others.
The agencies overseen by the Chief of Staff include the following:
| Portrait | Name | Date took office | Date left office | Political party | Appointed by | Affiliation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sila M. Calderón | 1986 | 1987 | PPD | Rafael Hernández Colón | Democrat | ||
| 2 | Álvaro C. Cifuentes | 1993 | 2001 | PNP | Pedro Rosselló | Democrat | ||
| 3 | César Miranda | 2001 | 2005 | PPD | Sila María Calderón | Democrat | ||
| Aníbal José Torres | 2005 | 2006 | PPD | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá | Democrat | |||
| 4 | Jorge Silva Puras | 2006 | 2009 | PPD | Aníbal Acevedo Vilá | Democrat | ||
| 5 | Juan Carlos Blanco Urrutia | 2009 | 2009 | PNP | Luis Fortuño | Democrat | ||
| 6 | Marcos Rodriguez Ema | 2009 | 2012 | PNP | Luis Fortuño | Democrat | ||
| 7 | Miguel Romero | 2012 | 2013 | PNP | Luis Fortuño | Democrat | ||
| 8 | pic | Ingrid Vila Biaggi | 2013 | 2014 | unaffiliated | Alejandro García Padilla | ||
| 9 | pic | Víctor Suárez | 2014 | 2015 | PPD | Alejandro García Padilla | Democrat | |
| 10 | pic | Grace Santana Balado | 2015 | 2017 | PPD | Alejandro García Padilla | Democrat | |
| 11 | pic | William Villafañe | 2017 | 2018 | PNP | Ricky Rosselló | ||
| 12 | pic | Raúl Maldonado | 2018 | 2019 | PNP | Ricky Rosselló |