House Republican Conference brings in new policy director

Shiloh Roehl is the new policy director of the House Republican Conference.

Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce of Ohio pulled the 28-year-old out of Pryce’s personal office, where she was Pryce’s legislative director.

Roehl joined Pryce’s office in September 2001, right after the terrorist attacks, as a legislative assistant. She became legislative director in 2002 and worked on such issues as healthcare, welfare and human trafficking.

Working for Pryce was not Roehl’s first tour of duty on the Hill. She had worked for Rep. Mark Green (R-Wis.) just after she graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a degree in political science.

When Roehl is not busy working for Pryce, she enjoys playing sports, especially running. She also spends time with her husband, Dan Roehl, who is Green’s policy director. The couple met while working in Green’s office, where both were legislative correspondents.

The Roehls love to travel. They took a recent trip to Hawaii during the Christmas break. Roehl also tries to make it back to Wisconsin as much as possible; she grew up there and still has family in the state.

Rep. Boehner hires new press and policy aides

House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has been hiring new staff members for his new office. He recently added five policy staff members and two in his communications department.

Mike Sommers has returned to his old boss as his Policy Director after working at the White House as the special assistant to President Bush for economic policy. Before his experience in the executive branch, Sommers worked for Boehner in the congressman’s personal office as his legislative director and chief of staff.

George Canty switched from working as counsel for Boehner’s Education and the Workforce Committee to the same position in the majority leader’s office. Canty has been with Boehner for a decade. He worked at the committee since 2001 and before that served as Boehner’s personal legislative director for five years.

Boehner hired Hill veteran Cynthia Herrle as his new policy adviser. Herle worked with Canty on the Education and the Workforce Committee as the senior budget analyst. She had been at that post since January 1999.

From 1996 to 1999, Herle worked as a policy analyst at the House Republican Conference. Herle also worked for then-Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) as deputy committee liaison from 1995 to 1996.

Emily Porter is also a new policy adviser for the majority leader. Porter had worked on Boehner’s committee since July 2004. Before her committee work, Porter worked as a legislative assistant to Reps. Trent Frank (R-Ariz.) and Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.). Porter also worked for the libertarian-oriented Cato Institute as a research assistant for education policy.

Jen Stewart is another new policy aide for the new leader. Stewart has been with Boehner for nearly five years. Previously she worked as a legislative assistant in his personal office, working on such issues as defense, foreign affairs, transportation and energy.

Boehner has also hired a new press team. Kevin Madden, former spokesman to ex-Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), had been out of his old job for a week when Boehner called him back in to work in the same post.

Before joining Delay’s staff in July 2005, Madden was spokesman for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for three months. Before that, Madden worked as a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign as a spokesman. The 34-year-old also previously worked for Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) in 2001.

Joining Madden in the press office is Kevin Smith, the new communications director. Smith occupied the same post for the Education and the Workforce Committee before moving into Boehner’s new office.

Smith just got married and traveled to Rome for the honeymoon.