Legislative Staff Directors

Legislative Staff Directors
Assistants, Chiefs of Staff, Policy Directors & Counsel
What is an LA?
By Brennan Long
When constituents call the offices of busy
delegates and senators, they are often greeted by
legislative aides, the legislators’ knowledgeable
right-hand men and women. These aides are
not just responsible for answering the phones
or responding to emails, they are at times an
extension of the legislators themselves, acting
as an extra set of hands to get the job done
for the state of Virginia. This could mean
researching legislative issues, filing requests,
tracking legislation and at times attending events with or in place of
the legislator.
As legislators are notoriously busy running from committee
meetings to session at the Capitol to This Week in Richmond tapings
at the General Assembly Building, the legislative aide must keep
commitments on the calendars organized.
“With so many deadlines, people and procedures you do your best
to help your boss look good, stay on schedule, and connect all the dots,”
said Holly Herman legislative aide to Senator Emmett Hanger since
1997. “It takes about three Sessions to just realize what all you have
missed while you were thinking you were on top of all your tasks.”
Legislative aides are not only required to have the organizational
skills of the very best assistant, but they also must handle the legislator’s
public relations. Aides write press releases to send to local newspapers
and newsletters to send to the legislators’ districts back home. In
addition, today’s technology savvy aides must monitor the legislator’s
Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as websites.
Some legislative aides that have been working at the General
Assembly for many years have had the opportunity to see the position
change as technology evolves.
“When I arrived at the General Assembly, all correspondence
was conducted via letter: drafting requests, budget amendments,
everything,” said Allison Baird, legislative aide to Senator John
Edwards. “Fax machines were a game-changer — I remember how
excited I was to be able to fax in drafting requests!” The legislature
has come a long way from the days of paper filing and this year the
legislative drafting system will allow legislators and aides to file
legislation with the Clerk’s office online for the first time.
Before the dawn of email and the Internet, mail was delivered
to the General Assembly Building three times a day. Today stacks of
hundreds of letters and postcards have transformed into digital inboxes
full of emails. “Emails can be a blessing and a curse. When a topic
heats up it is overwhelming to open your email box to find up to 1,000
emails a day. And with only the delegate and legislative aide to answer,
that process can be mind boggling,” said Judy Wyatt, aide to Delegate
Steve Landes.
Despite the changes in technology, the legislative aides continue to
work hard to help their legislators and they are not afraid to reach across
party lines to get the job done. “Two things have not changed over my
years at the General Assembly: the willingness of Senate legislative
aides — whether Republican or Democrat — to help each other, and the
dedication the Senate Clerk’s Office and Legislative Services have to
making our offices run smoothly,” Baird said. “Paper — or electronicage, this is a team that never loses focus on the important service we
render to our great Commonwealth.”
Brennan Long is a junior at the University of Richmond.
She is majoring in Journalism and minoring in French
at the university.V
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine
1
Legislative Staff Directors
Maryam Ahem
Alison Baird
Nicholas Blessing
Senate
John Edwards
House
Michael Webert
Carrie Ann Alford
Eric Bateman
Tempestt Boone
Angela Chellew
Senate
Toddy Puller
House
Nick Rush
House
Mamye BaCote
House
Ron Villanueva
Dale Hargrove
Alderman
Yovonda Bellamy
Sam Bosch
Ashley Chiera
Senate
Adam Ebbin
House
Gordon Helsel
Pat Bennett
Thomas Bowman
House
Kaye Kory
Julia Chun
House
Riley Ingram
Sally Antonelli
Caroline Biggs
Senate
Steve Newman
Jennifer Boyd
Senate
John Watkins
Senate
George Barker
House
Buddy Fowler
Jennifer Aulgur
Senate
Mark Obenshain
Senate
Kenneth Alexander
Trent Armitage
Carmen Bingham
House
Mark Sickles
House
David Toscano
Jameson Babb
Cindy Blanks
House
Peter Farrell
House
C. Matt Farriss
Brianna Bair
Pat Blaszak
House
Glenn Davis
2
Assistants, Chiefs
House
Kirk Cox
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
Senate
George Barker
Shelia Bradley
House
James Edmunds
Kristin Brawley
Courtney Campbell
House
Sam Rasoul
House
Mark Keam
Susan Clark
House
Chris Jones
Julie Coggsdale
House
Chris Peace
Erica Constance
House
Rick Morris
House
Kathleen Murphy
David Brown
Christie New Craig
House
David Toscano
Senate
John Cosgrove
of
Staff, Policy Directors & Counsel
Daniel Davies
House
Dave LaRock
Tami Davis
Terry Durkin
House
Scott Lingamfelter
Brooke Embree
House
Randall Minchew
House
Jeffrey Campbell
Jason De La Cruz
Tracy Eppard
Senate
Ryan McDougle
Patti Dempsey
Senate
Creigh Deeds
Jill Eyler
Senate
Steve Newman
House
Bill DeSteph
Cindy DiFranco
Christen Smith Faatz
House
Christopher Stolle
Senate
Jeff McWaters
Jordan Dix
Ann Fitzgibbon
House
Rob Bell
House
Daun Hester
Mary P. Dooley
Bill Flanagan
House
Patrick Hope
House
Kirk Cox
Deborah Duke-Daly
Tenesha Flowers
Senate
Bill Stanley
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
House
Joseph Preston
3
Legislative Staff Directors
of
Staff, Policy Directors & Counsel
Mary Franklin
Dean Goodson
Holly Herman
Cori Inman
Zach LeMaster
Marti Meersman
Gary R. Frink
Meg Graham
Stuart Higley
Shawneequa James
Senate
Bill Carrico
House
Jeion Ward
Chris Lore
Aria Meier
Jeanne Frink
Marty Hall
House
Will Morefield
Carrie Hoffmann
Morgan Jameson
House
Glenn Davis
House
Marcus Simon
Jesse Lynch
House
Todd Gilbert
Gerald T. Miller
Chad Funkhouser
Eric Harris
House
Matt Farris
Jacob Holmes
Eric Johnson
Tim Mitchel
House
Israel O’Quinn
House
David Ramadan
Tristan MacDonald
House
Tony Wilt
Savanna Funkhouser
Mike Hazlewood
House
Keith Hodges
Cassy Horn
Amanda Johnston
Nicole Manley
Janet Muldoon
House
Richard Bell
Ryan Galloway
L. Gail Henderson
Cindy Hosmer
H. Sue Jones
Archer McGiffin
Angela Murphy
Claire Gardner
Dale Hendon
Megan Howard
Jediah Jones
Garrett McGuire
Kathy Neilson
Vickie Hull
Olivia Jones
Brent McKenzie
Phil Newell
House
Danny Marshall
House
Todd Gilbert
House
Rich Anderson
House
Bob Marshall
Kelly Gee
House
Kirk Cox
4
Assistants, Chiefs
House
Tim Hugo
House
Jimmie Massie
Senate
Louise Lucas
Senate
Richard Stuart
Jasper Hendricks
House
Michael Futrell
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
Senate
Emmett Hanger
Senate
Bryce Reeves
Senate
Frank Ruff
House
Scott Surovell
House
Tim Hugo
House
Dave Albo
House
Brenda Pogge
House
Todd Gilbert
Senate
Donald McEachin
House
Betsy Carr
Senate
Tommy Norment
Senate
Richard Black
House
Greg Habeeb
House
Monty Mason
House
Ben Cline
House
John O’Bannon
House
Eileen Filler-Corn
Senate
Dave Marsden
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
House
Jim LeMunyon
House
Rob Krupricka
House
Terry Kilgore
House
Richard Morris
Senate
Richard Saslaw
Senate
Bill Carrico
Senate
Chap Petersen
House
Luke Torian
5
Legislative Staff Directors
Ashley Nixon
of
Staff, Policy Directors & Counsel
Sheryl Moody
Reddington
Brenda Roberts
Meredith Smith
Karol Straub
Eric Philipkosky
Edward Reed
Kathy Roberts
Nancy Snead
Karen Stuber
Sarah Owen
Abbey Philips
Kevin Reynolds Jr.
House
Jennifer McClellan
Senate
Thomas Garrett
Kim Rollins
Kalia Sokos
Dave Suetterlein
William Pace
Michael Phillips
Sandy Richards
Susan Johnston
Rowland
Arlene Spinelli
Andrea Tetreault
Susanne Saddington
Charles Stanton
Alex Thorup
Deborah Sherman
Alexandra Stephens
Vik Veeramachaneni
Senate
John Miller
House
Sam Rasoul
Senate
Bryce Reeves
House
Thomas Greason
Matt Ogburn
Senate
Ben Chafin, Jr.
House
Scott Garrett
House
Charles Poindexter
Rachel Park
House
Betsy Carr
Theressa E. Parker
Senate
Mamie Locke
Jerry Parshall
Senate
Jennifer Wexton
Jean Payne
House
Edward Scott
6
Randy Pearson
Assistants, Chiefs
House
Roxann Robinson
House
Joe Morrissey
Al Pianalto
House
Kirk Cox
George Price
House
Todd Pillion
Kristy Arnesen Pullen
House
Ken Plum
Brittany Rawlinson
House
Joseph Preston
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
House
Johnny Joannou
House
Rosalyn R. Dance
House
Barry Knight
Sherry Richardson
House
Kathy Byron
Zachary Rickard
House
Charniele Herring
Dustin Rinehart
House
Scott Taylor
House
Bill Howell
House
Matthew James
House
Lionell Spruill
Senate
John Watkins
House
Vivian Watts
House
Kathleen Murphy
House
Tommy Wright
Senate
Tommy Norment
Senate
Barbara Favola
Senate
Lynwood Lewis
Senate
Janet Howell
House
Mark Cole
Senate
Ralph Smith
House
Marcus Simon
House
Charles Poindexter
House
Glenn Davis, Jr.
Danielle Simms
Tricia Stiles
Mary Beth Washington
House
Charniele Herring
Senate
Jill Vogel
House
Roslyn Tyler
Blake Roark
Carol Sinclair
Craig Storrs
Scott Weldon
House
Jeffrey Campbell
House
Thomas Rust
House
Mark Berg
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015
House
Scott Taylor
7
Legislative Staff Directors
Not Pictured
Brittany West
House
Joseph Yost
Keith Westbrook
House
Delores McQuinn
Danielle Barrow
Gretchen Heal
Gina Lauterio
Cheryl Simmons
House
Terry Austin
House
David Yancey
House
Randall Minchew
Senate
Jeff McWaters
Karla Williams
Boughey
James Heo
Matt Moran
Jason Stanford
House
Mark Sickles
House
William Howell
House
Alfonso Lopez
Jody Hopkins
Karen PapasodoraCochrane
Peggy Tyree-Wells
Senate
Walter Stosch
David A Bovenizer
House
R. Lee Ware
Richard Crouse
House
Les Adams
Jeffrey Williams
Senate
Bill Stanley
Margaret Dalton
House
Randall Minchew
Abbi Easter
Senate
Donald McEachin
Vicki Wilson
Senate
Frank Wagner
Cathy Gause
Senate
Ralph Smith
Linda Gross
House
Manoli Loupassi
House
Robert Bloxom
Glen Hudgins
Senate
Frank Wagner
Renee Hudson
House
Bobby Orrock
Kate Kruk
House
Bill Howell
Muriel LaMois
House
K. Rob Krupicka, Jr.
Susan Lascolette
Senate
Tom Garrett
Jennifer Peters
House
Margaret B. Ransone
Rose Pruden
House
Joseph Lindsey
BJ Robertson
House
Chris Head
Judy Robinson
House
Bobby Orrock
Senate
Charles Colgan
Rama Van Pelt
House
David Bulova
Matthew Weinstein
House
Richard Sullivan
Phyllis Weinstock
Senate
John Miller
Erika Williams
House
Joe Morrissey
Lisa Scott
House
Edward Scott
Last updated March 2015
Sarah Ashley Wright
Senate
Stephen Martin
Judy Wyatt
House
Steve Landes
8
House
James Leftwich
Legislative Staff Directors – 2015