Carmel attorney Andrew J. Kossack has been appointed state public access counselor, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced Wednesday. Kossack replaces Heather Neal, who joined the Indiana Department of Education as deputy chief of staff.

Kossack said he's excited about his new job.

"Open access to government is essential in a society where government is 'of the people, and for the people,'" Kossack wrote in an e-mail to Indiana Lawyer today. "If the people aren't informed on the activities of their government, we'll fall far short of that ideal."

Kossack received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis and was admitted to the bar in 2007. He previously worked as a labor and employment associate at Barnes & Thornburg in Indianapolis and as an intern for then-U.S. Magistrate Judge William T. Lawrence.

Kossack said he'll put to use skills he learned as a labor and employment attorney to navigate gray areas of statutes and help clients sort through legal jargon. He's looking forward to the mediation component of the public access counselor's job because he knows how difficult litigation can be for those involved.

"If I can help mediate some of these issues before they end up in court, I think that's best for everyone and one of the main reasons this office was created," he said.

Kossack's first day is Sept. 7.