PIERRE (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday announced that the state's current commissioner of school and public lands will join her office as a senior policy adviser.

Ryan Brunner, who was in his second term as commissioner of school and public lands, will move into the role next month. The Republican governor said in a statement that she had appointed Jarrod Johnson to take over Brunner's office, which oversees lands designated for educational use by the federal government.

Brunner, a Nisland native, received his B.S. in agricultural economics from South Dakota State University in 2007. While he was a student, he also served as the Students’ Association president and was elected to the Brookings City Council. After graduating, Runner worked for the Brookings Economic Development Corporation before being appointed the deputy commissioner of School and Public Lands under former Commissioners Jarrod Johnson and Vern Larson. In November, 2014, Brunner was elected as South Dakota's 27th commissioner of school and public lands.

Noem has lost several senior staff in recent months, including John Coleman, a senior policy adviser who left earlier this month and focused on the Department of Labor and Regulation, Bureau of Human Resources and Bureau of Information and Telecommunications. The governor's spokesman, Ian Fury, said he had taken a job that would allow him to live closer to family.

Johnson previously held the position of commissioner of school and public lands for six years starting in 2007.

“Jarrod will be a capable and qualified steward of the office until the next commissioner is elected by the people," Noem said in a statement.

Two Republicans, Sen. Brock Greenfield and former Sen. Jordan Youngberg, have said they are running for the position, which will be elected in November.