Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) swings into the New Year with a variety of staff changes.

Legislative director Peter Fischer moves up a notch to administrative assistant. He replaces Will Hollier, who left to open a Capitol Hill-based office for Gallatin Group.

Fischer came to the Crapo operation after working as an economic development specialist for the state of Idaho, serving as managing director of a software-development firm in India and as an account executive with AT&T.

Fischer, who attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, Nicholls State University, and the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma, has also worked in Crapo’s Boise office as the state director of business, education, labor and technology.

One-time aide to then-Reps. Martin Hoke (R-Ohio) and Bill McCollum (R-Fla.) Kenneth Flanz moves up to legislative director after nearly six years with the Crapo outfit, beginning when Crapo was in the House. Most recently he was deputy legislative director to the Gem State Senator.

A native of Colorado, Flanz received a 1990 bachelor’s in government and foreign affairs from Claremont McKenna College, then went on to earn a master’s in public administration from Cornell University in 1993.

New legislative correspondent for health and social issues Lindsey Masterton comes to the Hill from Crapo’s Boise office, where she has been working as a staff assistant.

She takes the place of Rachel Wheatley, who departed the Hill to join a health information group.

The former Crapo intern from Scottsbluff, Neb., holds a 2002 bachelor’s in international business and political science from Hastings College.

While in college, Masterton was an exchange student to the University of Twente, the Netherlands, and presented a paper for the Citadel Symposium in Southern Politics in 2001.

Bob Ford, 53, will join Crapo’s state staff as state director for business, economic and rural development. Ford, who holds a bachelor’s from the University of Idaho and a master’s in management from the University of Southern California, is a veteran of the Idaho Department of Commerce.

Long-time Crapo aide Margaret Ballard becomes administrative assistant and will also work out of the Boise office. She earlier was chief of staff for the emergency response commission of the state of Idaho.

The 39-year-old Denver native received a master’s in public administration

and a bachelor’s in political science from Boise State University.

Whipping into Shape. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rounds out his whip staff this week.

Laura Pemberton joins the operation as whip liaison.

The former manager of Senate legislative affairs at the National Federation of Independent Business has also worked for Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and then-Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.), in the Republican Cloakroom and as floor assistant for Senate Republicans.

Originally from Ocean Springs, Miss., the 31-year-old Pemberton holds a bachelor’s in business from Mississippi State University.

Also joining as whip liaison is Malloy McDaniel, 28, another alumnus of the office of Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

McDaniel, most recently a Republican floor assistant, has also served as a Cloakroom assistant.

McDaniel, who hails from North Carolina, earned a bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Mississippi in 1997.

New floor assistant Amy Swonger also moves over from Lott’s operation, where she was legislative assistant for the Senate Finance Committee.

Swonger, 28, received a 1996 bachelor’s in international studies and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hails from Morehead City, N.C.

McConnell veteran Nan Wood Mosher switches hats, trading her office manager mantle for that of director of administration.

The Princeton, Ky., native, 37, is a member of Western Kentucky University’s class of 1987 and holds a bachelor’s in public relations.

Staff assistant B.J. Stieglitz becomes personal assistant to McConnell.

The 25-year-old Stieglitz, originally from Miami, holds a bachelor’s in economics from Duke University.

New staff assistant Theresa Williams has been whisked away from the office of Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

The 2001 Duke graduate, 23, has a double major in Japanese and international studies. She earlier worked for Morgan Stanley in the Big Apple.

Finally, Kelly Kotch becomes staff assistant.

Kotch, who most recently worked in the White House as senior trip coordinator for Vice President Cheney’s office, earned a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Central Florida and is from Orlando.

Other hires and promotions in the whip operation include: Chief of Staff Kyle Simmons, Floor Counsel Brian Lewis, Policy Director Michael Solon and Legal Counsel John Abegg (See “Whipping GOP Into Shape,” Jan. 6).

Nutmeg ‘Nouncements. Rep. Rob Simmons (R-Conn.) has revamped his office roster.

Staff assistant Leigh Hightower moves up to legislative correspondent.

The 2001 Mary Washington College graduate earlier interned for Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.).

The 23-year-old, who majored in American studies, hails from Storrs, Conn.

Simmons’ former field director for his 2002 re-election campaign — Jonathan Martin — gets the nod to become legislative assistant in charge of taxes, economy, budget, banking, insurance, telecommunications and trade issues.

He has also worked on the 2001 Virginia governor’s race.

Martin, 25, who holds a bachelor’s in history from Hampden-Sydney College, is from Arlington, Va.

Meredith Elliott comes on board as a legislative assistant.

The New Canaan, Conn., native will focus on social, education and judicial issues.

Elliott, 25, previously worked on Simmons’ re-election campaign.

She also worked in the press office of Commerce Secretary Don Evans and served as a session scheduler at the 2000 Republican National Convention.

A 2000 alumna of Bucknell University, Elliot holds a bachelor’s in political science.

Also new to the office is Meghan Curran, who takes on duties as staff assistant.

A former intern in the Nutmeg State lawmaker’s office, Curran is a recent graduate of American University. She earned her bachelor’s in international relations in 2002.

The 22-year old Curran hails from Bolton, Conn.