WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today announced the following Republican staff hires for the committee:

Lauren Baker will serve as professional staff for the committee and will be responsible for surface transportation infrastructure. Baker’s previous experience includes work at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) where she served as a senior policy advisor to former Secretary Elaine Chao and as a Special Assistant for Policy, Government, and Public Affairs at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). She is also a former legislative assistant to Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

Murphie Barrett will serve as the committee’s senior policy advisor for infrastructure and economic development and will oversee the committee staff’s infrastructure team. Barrett has previously served as staff director to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit under former Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and served as professional staff to the EPW Committee under Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). She was most recently Vice President, Congressional Relations for Infrastructure Advancement at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Georgianna Clemmons will serve as operations manager for the committee. Clemmons previously served as deputy scheduler in Senator Capito’s personal office.

Marli Collier will serve as press secretary for the committee. Collier previously held the same position in Senator Capito’s personal office.

Travis Cone will serve as the committee’s deputy staff director and will oversee the committee staff’s environment team. Cone previously served as senior policy advisor in Senator Capito’s personal office and as staff director to the EPW Committee’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety and Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittees. He has also previously served as legislative director to Representative Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and as a legislative assistant to Representative Hal Rogers (R-Ky.).

Will Dixon will serve as research assistant for the committee and will support the committee’s environment team. Dixon previously served as a staff assistant at the White House.

Elizabeth Horner will serve as chief counsel for the EPW committee. Horner previously served as majority senior counsel under former EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Prior to her time on the committee, Horner served as director and assistant counsel for government affairs at the Portland Cement Association and practiced federal environmental law in Washington, D.C., at Hunton and Williams LLP.

Max Hyman will serve as professional staff for the committee where he will be responsible for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), regional economic development, and the General Services Administration (GSA). Hyman previously served as a legislative assistant in Senator Capito’s personal office. He is a native of Huntington, West Virginia.

Tyler Jenkins will serve as research assistant for the committee and will support the committee’s oversight team. Jenkins previously served as a fellow for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). He is a native of Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Jake Kennedy will continue to serve as legislative assistant for the committee where he will support the staff’s environment team. Kennedy previously served as a legislative assistant for the EPW Committee under former Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and served as a legislative assistant to Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

Jess Kramer will serve as counsel for the committee where she will be responsible for issues related to clean and safe water and water infrastructure. Kramer was previously senior policy counsel in the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and was formerly an assistant attorney general in the Wisconsin Department of Justice Environmental Protection Unit.

Kayla McMurry will serve as counsel for the committee where she will be responsible for issues relating to clean air. McMurry previously served as a counsel and legislative assistant to Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and was a legislative staffer for Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Taylor Meredith will serve as counsel for the committee. She will be responsible for issues related to chemical safety and hazardous waste. Meredith previously served as a senior advisor to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and as a policy counsel in the EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management. Prior to joining EPA, she served as associate counsel at American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers.

Jacob Mitchell will serve as research assistant for the committee and will support the committee’s infrastructure team. Mitchell previously served as staff assistant in Senator Capito’s personal office.

Kelley Moore will serve as communications director for the committee and Senator Capito’s personal office. Moore has previously served in various positions in the senator’s press office. She is a native of Charleston, West Virginia.

Katherine Smith will serve as professional staff for the committee. She will be responsible for environmental review, permitting reform and fish and wildlife policy. Smith previously served as chief of staff at the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council and was associate director for Infrastructure at the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Adam Tomlinson will serve as the committee’s staff director. Tomlinson previously served as Senator Capito’s legislative director for the past 8 ½ years.   He served in other legislative staff positions for Capito since beginning his career in her office in 2002. Tomlinson previously practice law at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia. He is a native of Cross Lanes, West Virginia.

Travis Voyles will serve as oversight counsel for the committee. Voyles previously served as principal deputy associate administrator and as director of oversight in EPA’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations. He also previously served as professional staff to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Oversight.

Andrew Zach will continue to serve as a professional staff for the committee. He will be responsible for nuclear safety and EPA science issues. Zach previously served as professional staff under former EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). Previously, Zach served as senior professional staff to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Environment and the Subcommittee on Energy; as professional staff to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy; and as professional staff to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Zach began his career working for Representative F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.) 

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