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Two for Kildee

Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) recently added a couple of new staffers to his office. [IMGCAP(1)]

Coming to work as a senior legislative assistant is Travis Talvitie, 29. Since coming to Capitol Hill in 1999, Talvitie worked for then-Rep. Martin Sabo (D-Minn.) as an intern, staff assistant, legislative aide, press secretary and ultimately as senior legislative assistant.

From St. Paul, Minn., Talvitie wrote in an e-mail that he was “born in Seoul and adopted as an infant.” He graduated from the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities in 1999 with a degree in political science.

Also new to the office as press secretary and legislative assistant is Badar Tareen, 24.

Previously, Tareen worked as press assistant for Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) since 2005. He also interned for Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) during the summer of 2003.

“I recently completed an independent study on the 2005 South Asian Earthquake relief effort,” Tareen noted in an e-mail. “As a Lilly Grant Scholar, I spent time in a small community in Pakistan that was devastated by the earthquake. My goal was to get an understanding of how life is a year after the disaster.”

Last month, Tareen gave a lecture about his study at Concordia College, from which he graduated with a degree in political science in 2005.

A piano and trumpet player from Cavalier, N.D., Tareen also noted that he dabbles in stand-up comedy.

“I am pleased to welcome Travis and Badar to my staff,” Kildee said in a statement. “They are both bright, talented

people who will work hard to help me serve my constituents in Michigan.”

Snowe Man. David Snepp, 45, has just been hired as communications director for Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

Before joining Snowe’s staff, Snepp worked as press secretary to then-Sen. George Allen (R-Va.). Prior to that, he managed a public relations firm for nearly a decade. Snepp also worked as a Capitol Hill correspondent for Cox Broadcasting and as communications director for then-Rep. Alex McMillan (R-N.C.).

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Snepp graduated from Appalachian State University in 1983.

Pickering’s Picks. Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) has added two staffers to his Capitol Hill staff.

Hugh Carroll, 27, joins Pickering’s team as counsel.

Before joining the office, Carroll worked as counsel on the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management since 2005. In 2004, he was a law clerk for the General Services Administration’s office of general counsel in the real property division. He also worked as a law clerk during the summer of 2003 at the Architect of the Capitol’s office of general counsel.

A varsity swimmer at The Catholic University of America, Carroll received his undergraduate degree from the institution in political science in 2002. He earned a law degree from Catholic in 2005. He is from Greensboro, N.C.

Also new as a staff assistant to Pickering’s staff is Alexander Guffin, 23. Guffin previously worked for Hooper Sanford Baldwin & Thomas as a research coordinator from 2005 to 2006.

The Jackson, Miss., native graduated from The University of Georgia in May 2006 with a degree in consumer journalism with a focus in fashion merchandising and advertising.

“I am excited to have Hugo and Al join the staff,” Pickering said in a statement, “and I am confident in our team as we move forward to address the needs of my district, and post-Katrina Mississippi.”

Pitts’ People. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) recently promoted two staffers and added a third.

Amanda Schmidgall, 23, is moving up in the office.

Formerly a legislative corespondent and staff assistant, Schmidgall will keep the legislative correspondent classification while adding the role of legislative assistant. She also worked as an intern for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.).

Schmidgall, who also teaches piano lessons, graduated from Gordon College in 2005 with a degree in international affairs and Spanish. She is from Naperville, Ill.

Also being promoted in the office to legislative correspondent is Virginia Wing, 24. Wing previously worked as a staff assistant in the office.

Before joining Team Pitts, Wing was a domestic policy intern for The Heritage Foundation and a public policy intern for Focus on the Family.

A 2005 graduate of Furman University with a degree in philosophy, Wing wrote in an e-mail that she is a world traveler.

“[I] have traveled to 15 different countries,” she noted, “including a 6-month stay with a host family in New Zealand as part of an internship.”

She is from Ormond Beach, Fla.

Finally, Ladd Lesh, 22, is new to the office. Lesh was previously a government affairs fellow for the Family Research Council and campaign manager for Hal Jordan for North Carolina State House.

Lesh, who is from Charlotte, N.C., graduated from Grove City College in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional district,” Pitts said in a statement, “and I’m pleased to have such a capable and hardworking staff to assist me in those efforts.”

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