Former Holcomb staffer Lopez appointed to JNC

Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed Danny Lopez, his former deputy chief of staff, to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Indiana Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Indiana.

Lopez is currently the vice president for external affairs and corporate communications for Pacers Sports & Entertainment but, according to his LinkedIn page, he previously worked in the public sector in the Hoosier State for more than a decade.

Mostly recently, Lopez served a Holcomb’s deputy chief of staff from January 2017 to May 2019. Also, when Holcomb was lieutenant governor, Lopez served as his chief of staff from March 2016 to December 2016.

Prior to that, Lopez was state director for former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, R-Indiana, after having served as a special assistant to former Gov. Mike Pence.

Lopez tweeted out a statement on his appointment. “Really very excited & honored to join Indiana’s Judicial Nominating Commission for the Supreme Court & Court of Appeals,” he wrote. “Few spots can leave a lasting imprint on our state like this one and I’m very, very grateful. Looking forward to it!”

Lopez is one of three nonattorney members on the commission and will likely be part of the process for interviewing and nominating candidates to fill the upcoming vacancy created when Justice Steven David retires in the fall of 2022.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in history at Florida International University, Lopez earned a master’s degree in sports administration and marketing from Georgia State University.

Lopez arrived in Indiana and began his stint in the public sector in May 2008 by serving as the director of legislation and communications for the city of Bloomington. He subsequently served as executive director of the Indiana Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, then as deputy director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

Prior to joining the Pacers, he was chief of staff and senior vice president at the Strada Education Network.