This month Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) welcomed a number of new staff members to his office in the Hart Senate Office Building.

Joining the Senator as deputy press secretary is Matt Letourneau. Letourneau, originally of Shrewsbury, Mass., comes to New Mexico Senator’s office after serving Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) as a legislative correspondent and subcommittee clerk with the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also interned at the White House.

Letourneau is a 2002 graduate of Catholic University of America and holds a bachelor’s degree in politics.

Also joining the Senator’s press staff is Shaye O’Donnell from Alamogordo, N.M. O’Donnell, who will serve as assistant deputy press secretary, will work with Letourneau to coordinate interviews and media events for the Senator.

O’Donnell graduated from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., this May with a bachelor’s in communications studies. She worked with the St. Mary’s College telecommunications

office and Holloman Air Force Base, near Alamagordo.

In addition to his press staff pickups, Domenici also recently hired two new legislative correspondents, Tiffany Allen and Clint Taylor.

Allen’s responsibilities will include arts and humanities, education and environmental issues. She previously interned for Rep Heather Wilson (R-N.M.).

Allen, 21, hails from Albuquerque, N.M., and graduated from the University of Richmond in May with a bachelor’s in business administration.

Taylor’s responsibilities will include banking, budget and environmental issues. The 25-year-old from Roswell, N.M., is not completely new to Domenici’s office; he was an intern for the Senator in the fall of 2000. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 2001 with a bachelor’s in animal science.

Another Roswell resident joining the staff is Joni Ogle, who will serve as a staff assistant for the office and will focus on constituent services. Ogle, 22, has experience working as assistant to 2001 New Mexico state Senate Minority Whip Leonard Lee Rawson (R) as well as clerking at the Hester, McGlasson and Cox law firm. She graduated in May from West Texas A&M University with a double major in political science and history.

Two Virginians have joined the staff of the senior Senator from the Land of Enchantment, Elizabeth Heilig and Patricia Barr.

Heilig, 22, from Alexandria, will take on Web site and office management as the new executive staff assistant. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of the South.

Barr, also 22, has interned on the Hill for both Virginia GOP Sens. John Warner and George Allen. Barr graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in May with a bachelor’s in political science and calls McLean, Va., her home.