Collectively, Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) has made some impressive and interesting hires recently for her Capitol Hill office. One was ranked No. 1 in the nation for NTN Buzztime trivia. Another is the third in her family to work on the Hill. Another hasn’t missed an opening at Wrigley Field in the past five years, and another is a bona fide camel rider. [IMGCAP(1)]

They have arrived in Sánchez’s office over the course of the past year. So while some are not technically new hires, they’re all new to Hill Climbers, who is happy to bring them to you — especially when trivia mavens and camel riders are among the ranks.

Celeste Drake, the trivia expert, is the new legislative director, having started her position in December 2006. She had worked for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) as legislative counsel and is originally from San Diego. Drake, 40, has a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and law degree, all from the University of California at Los Angeles, and will be in charge of education issues, appropriations, labor and Medicare.

Lauren Ross, the new legislative counsel, also started in December 2006. She has a year in the City Year AmeriCorps Program under her belt and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in 2005. With a hometown of Palos Verdes, Calif., she is the third member of her family to work on the Hill. Ross says her most notorious moment on the Hill came when she met someone who was carrying Sánchez’s bags and thought he was a staffer. In actuality, he was a Congressman.

Starting as legislative counsel in August 2006, Monica Fawzy is in charge of constitutional law, ethics, government reform and immigration issues, among others. She previously spent a year and a half as a legal intern for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). The 26-year-old earned a law degree from The George Washington University Law School in 2006 and bachelor’s degrees in law and society and psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2003. Her hometown is Santa Monica, Calif. [IMGCAP(2)]

In May, Stacy Session became the office’s legislative fellow in charge of medical and health care issues. Session previously was an intern at the State Department, U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. She is 22 and has a bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University. The native of Downey, Calif., is the camel rider.

Jose Delgado, 27, is Sánchez’s new legislative counsel, having started in March. He is in charge of foreign policy issues and previously worked in Sánchez’s district office. Delgado has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and says he once walked into the wrong office after lunch on his first day at work.

Lastly, Andres Jimenez started in April as the office’s new staff assistant. His duties include organizing tours and answering the phones. Jimenez previously interned for another California Democrat, Rep. Howard Berman, and has a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University. His hometown is Chicago, and he hasn’t missed an opening day game at Wrigley Field in the past five years. Hats off to Jimenez.

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