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