House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio) promoted two staffers in the communications office earlier this month.

Jim Billimoria has been promoted from press assistant to assistant press secretary. Before joining the staff of the Conference, he worked for the House Government Reform subcommittee on the District of Columbia.

The 24-year-old is a native of Palatine, Ill. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Jessica Ferguson, 24, has been promoted from press assistant to deputy press secretary. Prior to joining the conference, Ferguson was a legislative correspondent for Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.).

Ferguson is a native of Boca Raton, Fla., and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 2002.

McCain Staffer Joins IFA. Jessica Bonanno, formerly on the legislative staff of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), has joined the International Franchise Association.

Bonanno comes on board as the manager of government relations and political education. In addition to focusing on tax and health care issues for the IFA, Bonanno will also manage projects for FranPAC, the political action committee of the IFA.

Her experience on Capitol Hill will be key to achieving the IFA’s goal of building “stronger relations between [the IFA] and lawmakers,” according to the president of the organization, Don DeBolt.

A graduate of Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., the 26-year-old received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy/religion in 2000. She is a native of Willoughby, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.