The Republican staff of the House Financial Services Committee is adding some new staff members and promoting two others.

Larry Lavender, 62, joins the committee as its staff director. [IMGCAP(1)]

Before joining the committee, Lavender worked as chief of staff in the personal office of the committee’s now-ranking member, Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), since 2001. He held the same position from 1993 to 1995.

Besides working for Bachus, Lavender has been the owner and manager of a manufacturing business, chief of staff to the mayor of Birmingham, Ala., from 1975 to 1979, and chief of staff for the Birmingham City Council from 1969 to 1975.

From Birmingham, Lavender earned his bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama.

Also new to the committee’s Republican staff is Chief Counsel Jim Clinger, 45.

Prior to assuming his new post, Clinger worked as acting assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s office of legislative affairs since October 2006. From 2005 to 2006 he was deputy assistant in the office. From 2001 to 2005 he worked as chief banking counsel on the Financial Services Committee to then-Chairman Mike Oxley (R-Ohio). He also worked as senior counsel to the House Banking Committee from 1995 to 2001.

A native of Warren, Pa., Clinger earned his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Virginia.

Warren Tryon is new to the committee. Having previously served in Bachus’

personal office since 1999, where he worked on issues related to the committee, Tryon will now serve as the committee’s deputy staff director. [IMGCAP(2)]

Tryon also worked previously as legislative director to then-Rep. Rick Hill (R-Mont.). He is a graduate of the University of Vermont.

Kevin Edgar, 35, will serve as senior counsel on the committee responsible for issues dealing with capital markets and securities.

Before joining the committee, Edgar worked as associate director for government relations for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board since June. From 1997 to 2006 he worked at the New York Stock Exchange, where he rose to the rank of senior counsel for government relations.

A 1993 cum laude graduate of Boston College, Edgar earned a law degree from the University of Dayton in 1996. He hails from Locust Valley, N.Y.

Michael Borden, 29, joins the committee as counsel. Previously he worked as a legislative assistant to then-Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) since 2004.

The Calabasas, Calif., native earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1999 and a law degree from the University of Chicago in 2003.

Working as communications director will be Richard Cross, 40.

Cross previously worked as a speechwriter and press aide to former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) since 2003. From 1998 to 2003 he was communications director for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. From 1995 to 1998 he was press secretary for then-Rep. Ehrlich. He also worked as senior writer for the 2000 Republican National Convention and as press aide to then-Rep. Helen Bentley (R-Md.) from 1986 to 1989.

Cross, who wrote in an e-mail that he “collects cars and presidential autographs,” earned his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1989. The Timonium, Md., native had a fellowship at the University of Connecticut from 1992 to 1993.

Anthony Cimino, 22, is new to the committee as a staff assistant. He previously worked in Bachus’ personal office and as an intern on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Los Angeles native is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.

Moving up at the committee is Dina Ellis Rochkind, 37. Having previously served as a Bachus designee to the Financial Services subcommittee on financial institutions and consumer credit since 2003, she will now work as senior counsel, primarily responsible for dealing with issues related to financial institutions and consumer credit.

Previously, Rochkind worked in the Treasury Department as deputy assistant secretary for consumer affairs and community policy from 2001 to 2002. From 1999 to 2001 she was majority counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, and from 2000 to 2001 she worked on the Bush-Cheney transition team.

From Harrisburg, Pa., Rochkind earned her undergraduate degree from Penn State University and her law degree from Penn State’s Dickinson Law School.

Finally, Robert Gordon, 40, has been promoted. Having previously worked as senior counsel on the committee since 2001, Gordon will now keep that title while adding the role of Republican parliamentarian. He also worked as counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee from 1994 to 2001.

Gordon received his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from Georgetown University. He is from Lafayette, Calif.

“Our staff reflects a great mix of governmental experience, private sector accomplishment, and educational excellence,” Bachus said in a statement speaking about all his Republican committee staff. “The members of this team complement each other well. Thanks to the high quality of our members and staffers, Republicans are well prepared to tackle the challenges the Committee will face during the 110th Congress.”