House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is bringing back former top aide Barry Jackson to succeed the late Paula Nowakowski as his chief of staff.Nowakowski died suddenly of a heart attack on Jan. 10. She was 46. “No one in America is better prepared or better qualified than Barry to pick up the torch in the wake of our tragic and unexpected loss,— Boehner said in a statement. “I’m deeply grateful for Barry’s willingness to return to active duty on our team in what promises to be an important year not just for Republicans, but for America.—Jackson was Boehner’s chief of staff from 1991 to 2001. In 1994, he was director of the GOP’s “Contract With America,— which the party used to catapult itself back into the House majority. Jackson left Capitol Hill to work as a deputy to then-senior adviser Karl Rove in President George W. Bush’s White House. In 2007, Jackson was appointed assistant to the president for strategic initiatives and external affairs. “By bringing the director of the Contract with America back to the Hill during this important time for the nation, we’re sending a message that Republicans are serious about listening to the people, building a principled and lasting majority, and renewing the drive for smaller, more accountable government,— Boehner said.