Michael Kennedy, the head of Utah State University’s government relations department, has been tapped by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to be his chief of staff.

Kennedy will replace Jace Johnson, who is joining Adobe Systems Inc. as vice president of global relations.

In a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune, Hatch noted that Kennedy had focused on issues of importance to Utah including working with the governor and state legislature. The Senator said that Kennedy “shares my passion for the future of Utah.”

Prior to taking the job with the university, Kennedy had been a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., where he represented Utah cities and other state related agencies.

A graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the incoming chief of staff had also worked as an intern for Sen. Bob Bennett (Utah), who lost his bid for re-election at the Republican state nominating convention.

Before coming to Hatch’s staff in 2002, Johnson had worked for the Corvis Corp.

Kennedy could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.