Minty Fresh Staff
Recently elected Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has chosen his staff for his Washington, D.C., office.
Adam Temple has been brought on board as deputy communications director. For the past three years he has served as deputy press secretary and speechwriter for the National Republican Congressional Committee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2001 with a bachelor’s in communication.
Chuck Royal will continue to work for DeMint as a legislative assistant; before he came to the Senate, Royal had worked with DeMint for four and a half years. The Charleston, S.C., native graduated from Covenant College in 1999 with a bachelor’s in history.
Chris Socha will also serve as legislative assistant. Socha has served in the same role for then-Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), as a personal assistant in the McIntosh for Governor campaign, and as a legislative correspondent for Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.). Socha graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1998 with a bachelor’s in political science and psychology.
Katy Taylor will serve as the Senator’s scheduler. Previously, Taylor had worked in Rep. Ed Schrock’s (R-Va.) office as a scheduler and staff assistant. Taylor graduated from the University of Virginia in 2001 with a bachelor’s in foreign affairs.
Matt Hoskins will serve as policy director. He has held a number of positions on DeMint’s staffs, including legislative assistant, legislative director and chief of staff. Hoskins graduated from Westmont College in 1997 with a bachelor’s in economics and business.
Ellen Weaver will serve as executive assistant and office manager. Weaver started as an intern with DeMint in his district office in 2001, then moved to Washington later that year to serve as a staff assistant. In 2002, she was promoted to executive assistant/scheduler/office manager. Weaver is a graduate of Bob Jones University, and received a bachelor’s in political science in 2001.
Wesley Denton has been brought on board as communications director for the Senator. Denton worked in the same position for Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). The Beaufort, S.C., native graduated from Clemson University in 1997 with a bachelor’s in speech and communication.
Robin Colwell will serve as senior counsel for issues involving the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and Judiciary Committee. Previously, Colwell served as a clerk to Chief Judge H. Robert Mayer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and as legislative counsel for then-Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) on the issues of telecommunications, transportation and the judiciary. Colwell received a bachelor’s in international affairs from Florida State University in 1994 and a law degree from William and Mary School of Law in 1998.
Bret Bernhardt joins DeMint’s office as chief of staff. Bernhardt previously served in that same role for then-Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.). He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, having received a bachelor’s in accounting in 1978.
Susan Beals will serve as projects director and legislative assistant handling federal funding and the Environment and Public Works Committee. While DeMint was still a Representative, she served as his senior legislative assistant. Beals graduated from the College of Charleston.
Marlo Meuli has been hired as information systems manager. For the past six years, Meuli has worked for Nickles, as well as a number of other Senators, including Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). Meuli has also worked for the Republican Policy Committee.
Meuli received a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a master’s in information systems technology from George Washington University.
Kimberly Gluck has been brought on board as a legislative correspondent and deputy office manager. Gluck has served with DeMint since his days in the House. The Greenville, S.C., native graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2003 with a bachelor’s in psychology
Jacqueline Wood will serve also as legislative correspondent. Wood has previously worked with DeMint on his Senate campaign. Another Greenville native, Wood graduated from Clemson University in 2004 with a bachelor’s in political science and biological sciences.
David Gladden is another legislative correspondent for the Senator. Prior to coming to Washington, he had done campaign work in South Carolina. Gladden holds a bachelor’s in political science, which he received from Furman University in 2004.
Jean Cecil Frick comes on as a staff assistant. Frick has also worked for South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) as an intern. She graduated from Wofford College in 2004 with a bachelor’s in government and art history.
Jennifer Rook will also serve as staff assistant. She attended Wofford College.