Gov.-elect Gina Raimondo has appointed a chief of staff who has worked for governors in three other states.

Raimondo, a Democrat, on Tuesday named Stephen Neuman as her top staffer.

Neuman is currently the director of public affairs for Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. He has also worked for governors in North Carolina and Missouri and was chief of staff for Barack Obama's winning North Carolina campaign in 2008.

A spokeswoman for Raimondo says she has followed O'Malley's work for years, and Neuman's experience with him and elsewhere will be invaluable in Rhode Island.

Neuman is 38 years old and is a graduate of Washington University School of Law and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously was an attorney for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom.