Student Government Association has a new member of its executive branch.

Mariah Smith was named SGA’s new legislative director in its senate meeting last Wednesday. Smith will have her first meeting as legislative director tonight when SGA meets tonight.

Smith replaced Steele Estes as legislative director.

Estes was the interim replacement for the summer and start of the fall. Smith said Estes had other opportunities come up and stepped down to pursue those interests.

She served as an LAS senator last year and was on the budget and finance committee.

Smith was involved in the election process in the spring, was elected as a senator at-large and once again served on the budget and finance committee before her appointment to legislative director.

She said she has some plans already for her new role.

“I really want to clean up the Journal, which is our governing document for student government,” Smith said Tuesday afternoon. “What I also plan to do is just finish all the other projects that have started, such as elections and finishing Chief of Staff.”

Smith said duties of the legislative director include drafting all bills, handling all appointments and making all documentation for SGA in its meetings.

She has one thing in particular that she sees the legislative director as.

“One thing specifically that I see legislative director as [is] somebody who works for the senate and somebody who takes their ideas and is able to put them on paper for them so we can get more students’ ideas out there,” she said.

SGA president Matthew Conklin said he was excited to promote Smith to legislative director.

“She will bring experience as a senator,” Conklin said. “She brings a knowledge of the Journal, which will be fitting for the job as legislative director, being the expert on the Journal and writing legislation.

“She has a strong work ethic. She’s proven to be diligent thus far.”

Smith said she is ready to get to work as legislative director.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I’m definitely looking forward to my first senate meeting sitting on the other side of the table.”