Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) mixed things up last month, promoting three young staffers and hiring a new spinner.

R.C. Hammond has moved back to the south side of the Capitol complex, becoming Capito’s press secretary after working as press assistant in the office of Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.). Hammond, 24, also worked as a field manager on Sununu’s 2002 Senate campaign and served in his House office. Prior to working inside the Capitol, Hammond worked for the Republican political consulting firm Greener and Hook.

Hammond holds a degree in political communication from George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs.

Bryan Cummings, 24, has been bumped up from Capito’s Charleston office to the Congresswoman’s Hill office, and is now serving as a legislative correspondent. Cummings attended Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., where he earned a degree in political science.

Staff Assistant and Systems Manager Hatton Lane, 24, has recently taken on the additional responsibilities of Webmaster. The Charleston native has served on Capito’s staff since 2002 and graduated from Randolph Macon College in 2001 with a bachelor’s in political science.

Conrad Lucas, 22, a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University in Memphis, Tenn., has been promoted to staff assistant and deputy press secretary. The West Virginia native was a volunteer on Capito’s 2002 re-election campaign prior to joining her staff this fall.

Turner Taps Two New Directors. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) recently made two important changes to his office. The Buckeye State Congressman appointed Michael Gaynor his district director and Andy Bloom his communications director.

Gaynor is a lifelong Ohioan who co-founded American Strategies, a Columbus-based organizational development consulting firm, before coming to work for Turner. He has also worked for the Boy Scouts of America in Northeast and Central Ohio. Gaynor graduated from the University of Dayton with degrees in political science and criminal justice.

Bloom is a veteran radio manager, programmer and research specialist who recently served as communications director for the John Cox (R) 2004 Senate campaign in Illinois. Bloom also served a consultant for the Broadcast Board of Governors and has worked in a variety of media markets including Los Angeles and Philadelphia as well as internationally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Hungary. Bloom holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Marquette University.

[IMGCAP(1)]Gains for Garrett in the Garden State. There are two new faces in Rep. Scott Garrett’s (R-N.J.) Hill office these days — Press Secretary Marny Cavanaugh and Scheduler/Office Manager Laurel Edmondson.

Cavanaugh, 23, joins the Congressman’s office after working as media coordinator for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she implemented communications outreach on issues such as health care, energy, telecommunications and homeland security. The Auburn, Calif., native earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Ind.

Edmondson comes to Garrett’s staff from her role as communications director for the Florida House and, previously, as legislative assistant for Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Edmondson is a native of DeLand, Fla. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Stetson University in DeLand.