Lara Schwartz has been hired as a legal fellow for the majority staff on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Schwartz was vice president of external affairs at the American Association of People with Disabilities. She also served as legal director at the Human Rights Campaign. She worked as an associate at law and lobbying firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and was a judicial clerk in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Gaston Mooney has been hired as a policy adviser for the Senate Republican Steering Committee. He was a legislative assistant for Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. Mooney also has worked as an aide for former South Carolina GOP Rep. James Gresham Barrett’s gubernatorial campaign. He was trip coordinator at the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush. He also worked as a legislative correspondent and systems admin for Rep. Robert B. Aderholt, R-Ala.

Kelly Ward has been named executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2014 cycle. Ward was political director. She also worked as the DCCC’s regional political director for incumbent retention in 2010. She served as the director of America Forward at New Profit Inc. She was executive director for the Project for Arizona’s Future. She was campaign manager for Harry Mitchell for Congress. She worked on special projects in the Arizona governor’s office under Janet Napolitano.

Tessa Gould has been hired as chief of staff for Sen.-elect Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. Gould was the campaign manager for Heitkamp’s 2012 Senate campaign. She worked as the associate director of development for the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business. She also served as chief of staff for former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D.

Jesse Haladay has been hired as a legislative assistant for Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif. Haladay was a legislative assistant for Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa. He has worked as a senior legislative correspondent and as a press assistant to Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md. He also has worked as an intern for former Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill.

Betsy Feigin Befus has been promoted to general counsel for the National Multi-Housing Council, an apartment firm trade group. Befus was a vice president and counsel. She has worked as an attorney adviser at the Labor Department under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Manning Bolchoz has been promoted to vice president of the program management office at iGov, a government information technology services company. Bolchoz was a program manager for the one of the company’s Defense Department contracts. He has also worked as a technical volume lead for another of iGov’s Defense contracts. Bolchoz retired from the Army with the rank of colonel.

Sue Sheridan has been promoted to director of patient engagement at the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a health care research organization. Sheridan was the group’s deputy director of patient engagement. She has served as head of the World Health Organization’s Patients for Patient Safety initiative. She also has served as the co-founder and president of Parents of Infants and Children with Kernicterus and of Consumers Advancing Patient Safety.

R. David Whitaker has joined BuckleySandler as counsel. Whitaker was senior company counsel in the strategy and risk group at Wells Fargo Bank. He has worked as assistant general counsel at the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac.

Manu Gayatrinath has been promoted to partner at law and lobbying firm Latham & Watkins. Gayatrinath was an associate in the firm’s finance department and private equity finance group.

Nathan H. Seltzer has also been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins. Seltzer was an associate in the litigation department.

The following people have been hired at the Ambit Group:

Brenda Blackman has been hired as a managing director. Blackman worked in the Defense Department’s office of warrior and family support as a regional director for the North in the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She also has served as legislative director to the chairman in the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She worked as an executive officer to the chief of staff in the Air Force. She was an Air Force officer.

Connie Rooke has been hired as a managing director. Rooke was a project management consultant at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She retired from the Coast Guard with the rank of commander.

Bryan Bearden has been hired as associate vice president. Bearden was Air Force Chairman and senior Air Force officer for the Marine Corps University. He was a faculty member at the Marine Corps War College. He was an officer in the Air Force.