Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tapped Lorraine Miller to serve as the Clerk of the House for the 110th Congress. Miller will succeed Karen Haas, who was appointed by former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). Pelosi had asked Haas to stay on as Clerk until a permanent replacement was found.

Miller has more than 20 years of Hill experience, including tenures in the offices of Pelosi and former Speakers Jim Wright (D-Texas) and Tom Foley (D-Wash.), as well as Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). She also worked in the legislative affairs shop at the White House under then-President Bill Clinton, and has served stints at both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.

Miller has been president of the Washington, D.C., NAACP chapter since 2004, and she will be the first African-American to hold the office of Clerk.

“Lorraine Miller has dedicated her career to the noble calling of public service, with her vast experience in both the House of Representatives and White House preparing her for this vital role,” Pelosi said in a statement.

— Susan Davis