Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has hired a 28-year-old Capitol Hill veteran to serve as his legislative aide for health care and education issues.

Valerie Henry, who most recently worked in government affairs for the international law firm McDermott, Will & Emery, returns to the Hill after a three-year absence.

She is also an alumna of the offices of Republican Sens. John Warner (Va.) and Mike Crapo (Idaho).

Henry earned a bachelor’s in political science from Virginia Tech in 1997.

Yackin’ Yalie. First-term Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) fills out his roster for the 108th Congress with the addition of Press Secretary Bret Ladine, a 22-year-old graduate of Yale University.

During his time in New Haven, Ladine served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News and was a member of the Yale College Executive Committee.

The former intern for Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.) has also reported for the Boston Globe from its Washington, D.C., bureau.

He hails from Modesto, Calif.

Big Apple Bonanza. Neophyte New York Rep. Tim Bishop (D) has assembled a starting lineup that could give the Yankees a run for their money.

Staff Assistant Mark Copeland, previously an intern for fellow rookie Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), is the most recent addition to the Bishop team.

The 2002 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has also interned for then-Reps. Rod

Blagojevich (D-Ill.) and Bob Wise (D-W.Va.), both of whom went on to become governor of their respective states.

Hailing from Rockford, Ill., Copeland is 23.

Also joining the office this spring is Rosemary Manesis, who serves as executive assistant.

Manesis cut her political teeth as a caseworker for Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) and as a member of the issues development staff of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D). She also spent a brief stint as legislative aide to then-Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer (D).

A member of the University of Notre Dame’s class of 1996, Manesis is from Whiting, Ind.

Rounding out the Bishop squad are the following staffers:

Veteran campaign manager Doug Dodson helms Bishop’s team as chief of staff. The 44-year-old Dodson is a native of Amarillo, Texas.

Longtime Democratic operative Aprill Springfield, now Bishop’s deputy chief of staff and legislative director, most recently

served as deputy policy director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Long Island native Jon Schneider puts in double duty as communications director and legislative assistant. The Boston University graduate comes to the office from the Sierra Club, where he was a national political representative.

Legislative Assistant Alex Goldenberg covers issues ranging from immigration to defense for the Empire State Congressman.

Hailing from the Big Apple, Goldenberg earlier completed a tour of duty in the office of fellow New York Rep. Nita Lowey (D).

Also serving as legislative assistant is Kate Ryan, who comes to the office from the DCCC. She has also worked for the Democratic polling firm Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates.

After a stint as staff assistant for the House Democratic Caucus, Nick Holder serves as Bishop’s legislative correspondent. The 23-year-old is from Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Systems Administrator and Office Manager Bill Polman is an alumnus of Roemer’s office, where he was also systems administrator. He holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Notre Dame.

Cole’s Chief. After just five months as legislative director for Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), Pete Kirkham has flown the coop, this time landing as chief of staff to Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole (R).

Kirkham, who has held posts in the offices of Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and then-Reps. Wes Watkins (R-Okla.) and Herb Bateman (R-Va.), replaces Leslie Belcher-Sowell, who departed for the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Collier Shannon Scott.

Kirkham earned a bachelor’s in political science and history, and later a master’s in international public policy analysis, from West Virginia University. He also holds a bachelor’s in metals science and engineering from Penn State University.