STAFF NEWS: Look Who’s Moving Up on The Hill This Week (Might Be Somebody You Know)

JOSH KARETNY served Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) as Acting Chief of Staff and is now moving over to be Senior Counsel. Josh has been with the Rhode Island lawmaker since 2007. He received his Law Degree from the New York School of Law in 2005 and his BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2000.

AUSTIN HIGGINBOTHAM jumps over to Communications Director for Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) after a stint as Press Secretary for Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC). Austin is a 2019 graduate of Wofford College with a BA in Economics and Government and he received his MBA in 2020 from The Citadel.

JOHANNA THOMAS is the new Counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee. Johanna comes to the panel after nearly two years as a Partner at Jenner & Block LLP. She is a 2004 AB graduate in Economics and Sociology from Dartmouth College, and her Law Degree was awarded in 2007 by the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law.

BLAKE DEELEY assumes the reins as Legislative Director for Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA) after serving as a Special Assistant to President Donald Trump in the White House. Blake received his BA in Political Science from the University of Kentucky in 2010 and his MBA from American University’s Kogod School of Business in 2021.

JORDAN COLVIN moves from Platinum Advisers LLC to Legislative Director for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Jordan has also worked as a Lobbyist for Coleman Government Affairs LLC and previously worked on the Senate side as Investigative Counsel for Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who was then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Jordan is a 2008 BA graduate of George Washington University in Criminal Justice and Political Science, and she earned her Law Degree in 2013 from the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law.

LOOKING FOR A HILL JOB?

Then check out Bret Bernhardt’s five-part HillFaith series on effective strategies for finding that next great position. Bernhardt has a wealth of experience, insider insight, how-tos and obscure terms (for example, do you know what a “golden reference” is on the Hill?), plus lots of helpful links.

Bret, who is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, was Chief of Staff for two U.S. Senators (Senators Don Nickles of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina) and is now a member of the board of directors of the Conservative Partnership Institute: and of Faith & Law: