Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) recently welcomed a fresh face to his office. Rachel Sotsky, a Worchester, Mass., native, will be the Senator’s legislative assistant.

The 10-year Capitol Hill veteran is an old hand in the Senate. She has served as a legislative adviser to former Sens. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), Spark Matsunaga (D-Hawaii) and Warren Rudman (R-N.H.). She also worked as a senior associate at the D.C. lobbying firm Cassidy & Associates, and as a writer for the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement. In the late 1970s, Stosky worked for the New Haven Housing Authority at the same time her new boss served as state Senate Majority Leader from that district.

Stosky received a bachelor’s in political science from Brandeis University and a master’s in public administration from George Washington University.

Pas de Trois. Hard work clearly pays off in Rep. John Carter’s (R-Texas) office, where three staff members were recently promoted.

Chris Alsup, 29, has been bumped up to a legislative correspondent position after working six months as Carter’s legislative assistant. Alsup is a former aide to then-Texas state Rep. Kipp Averitt (R) and volunteered on Carter’s campaign.

After serving in the Army for three years, the Petersburg, Ill., native graduated from the University of Texas in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in government.

Spivey Paup, a legislative correspondent since January, was promoted to legislative assistant. Prior to his tenure with Carter, Paup worked for the 2002 Winter Olympics and the House Administration Committee during the recent new member transition.

The 24-year-old Fort Worth native graduated from Texas A&M University in December 2001 with degrees in international relations and business.

Brooke McWhirter, from Tomball, Texas, makes her way inside the Beltway for the first time as a staff assistant in the Congressman’s Washington office. The 21-year-old has worked in Carter’s Round Rock office since January. McWhirter also volunteered on Carter’s campaign and worked for two years as a Texas Senate messenger.

Fresh from the University of Texas, McWhirter graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in government.

Counsel Advances. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Judy Pensabene will slide into the chief counsel’s seat following the current chief’s retirement after the Fourth of July.

A seasoned lawyer, Pensabene has managed the Washington office of Constellation Energy Group as vice president of federal affairs and Washington counsel, served as senior counsel for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and practiced law in Tulsa, Okla.

The Independence, Mo., native attended the University of Missouri and the University of Tulsa Law School.