Washington state Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson on Thursday named a veteran budget writer and policy analyst to serve as his director of the Office of Financial Management.

K.D. Chapman-See, the agency's current legislative affairs liaison, will be the point person helping Ferguson fashion his first state spending plan in the shadow of a potential multi-billion dollar budget deficit.

Also Thursday, Ferguson started his search for new leaders of nine state agencies, including the departments of transportation, corrections, social and health services and ecology. Current directors of most of those agencies have already announced plans to step down or retire.

With Chapman-See, Ferguson tapped a skilled and respected analyst with experience in the executive and legislative branches of Washington state government.