Roberts announces new hires for Senate Agriculture Committee
February 11, 2015 |06:26 PM
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., announced the following additions to the committee staff this week:
Maddy Connor, staff assistant/legislative correspondent: Connor interned for a public relations firm and received a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in biology from Christopher Newport University.
Matt Erickson, chief economist: Erickson most recently worked as an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, where he specialized in analyzing domestic policy issues ranging from big data, budget and farm bill policy, with a focus in energy markets.
Erickson also served in USDA’s Rural Development division and at the White House National Economic Council during the Bush administration and for former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. He also worked as a consultant with Elanco Animal Health.
Erickson received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He was raised on his family’s farm of five generations in Brookston, Ind.
Anne Hazlett, chief counsel: Hazlett has served as Republican chief counsel on the Senate Agriculture Committee since 2009 and will now hold that position for the majority.
Prior to that, Hazlett was director of agriculture for Indiana. She also served as chief of staff to Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. Hazlett was legal counsel to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees during the development of the 2002 and 2008 farm bills.
Hazlett holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Kansas State University and a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis, and a master’s in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Chelsie Keys, senior professional staff, livestock and food safety issues: Keys has worked for eight years for the National Pork Producers Council, where she was director of government relations and managed NPPC’s Competitive Markets Policy Committee.
Keys earned a degree in applied economics from the University of Minnesota. She was raised on a grain and cow-calf farm in southern Minnesota.
DaNita Murray, senior counsel: Murray most recently worked as counsel for the House Committee on Agriculture.
She has also worked for the National Corn Growers Association on biotechnology policy and the Agriculture Department as a special assistant in the Office of the Undersecretary for Food Safety, as congressional liaison, and as a confidential assistant in the Farm Service Agency.
She received her undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University and her juris doctor from Drake University Law School. Murray grew up on her family’s farm near Milbank, S.D.
Andy Rezendes, investigative counsel: Rezendes most recently served as counsel on the investigations team of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Prior to that, he was in private practice with law firms in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. Rezendes received a bachelor’s degree in politics from The Catholic University of America and a law degree from Catholic’s Columbus School of Law.
Rezendes is a native of Rhode Island. He served as a page for the late Sen. John H. Chafee, R-R.I.
Anthony Seiler, staff assistant/legislative correspondent: Seiler most recently worked in the University of Dallas Rome Program.
He received his bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Dallas and interned for Roberts in 2011.
A Kansas native, Seiler’s family has farmed for five generations and runs a diversified dairy and grain operation outside of Valley Center.
Norwood Charles Thornton III, senior professional staff and counsel: Thornton, who will focus on derivatives markets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, most recently worked as counsel for Delta Strategy Group.
A New Orleans native, Thornton received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and his law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.
William Stafford, legislative assistant in Roberts’ Washington personal office: Stafford joins Melvin Thompson, Roberts’ longtime Kansas agricultural assistant.
Stafford most recently served as director of government affairs at the National Association of Wheat Growers. He joined the wheat growers as intern in 2011.
He received a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a minor in business administration, from Towson University. Stafford was born and raised in Bethesda, but his family is from eastern Kansas.
Maddy Connor, staff assistant/legislative correspondent: Connor interned for a public relations firm and received a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in biology from Christopher Newport University.
Matt Erickson, chief economist: Erickson most recently worked as an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, where he specialized in analyzing domestic policy issues ranging from big data, budget and farm bill policy, with a focus in energy markets.
Erickson also served in USDA’s Rural Development division and at the White House National Economic Council during the Bush administration and for former Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. He also worked as a consultant with Elanco Animal Health.
Erickson received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He was raised on his family’s farm of five generations in Brookston, Ind.
Anne Hazlett, chief counsel: Hazlett has served as Republican chief counsel on the Senate Agriculture Committee since 2009 and will now hold that position for the majority.
Prior to that, Hazlett was director of agriculture for Indiana. She also served as chief of staff to Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. Hazlett was legal counsel to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees during the development of the 2002 and 2008 farm bills.
Hazlett holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Kansas State University and a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis, and a master’s in agricultural law from the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Chelsie Keys, senior professional staff, livestock and food safety issues: Keys has worked for eight years for the National Pork Producers Council, where she was director of government relations and managed NPPC’s Competitive Markets Policy Committee.
Keys earned a degree in applied economics from the University of Minnesota. She was raised on a grain and cow-calf farm in southern Minnesota.
DaNita Murray, senior counsel: Murray most recently worked as counsel for the House Committee on Agriculture.
She has also worked for the National Corn Growers Association on biotechnology policy and the Agriculture Department as a special assistant in the Office of the Undersecretary for Food Safety, as congressional liaison, and as a confidential assistant in the Farm Service Agency.
She received her undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University and her juris doctor from Drake University Law School. Murray grew up on her family’s farm near Milbank, S.D.
Andy Rezendes, investigative counsel: Rezendes most recently served as counsel on the investigations team of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Prior to that, he was in private practice with law firms in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. Rezendes received a bachelor’s degree in politics from The Catholic University of America and a law degree from Catholic’s Columbus School of Law.
Rezendes is a native of Rhode Island. He served as a page for the late Sen. John H. Chafee, R-R.I.
Anthony Seiler, staff assistant/legislative correspondent: Seiler most recently worked in the University of Dallas Rome Program.
He received his bachelor’s degree in politics from the University of Dallas and interned for Roberts in 2011.
A Kansas native, Seiler’s family has farmed for five generations and runs a diversified dairy and grain operation outside of Valley Center.
Norwood Charles Thornton III, senior professional staff and counsel: Thornton, who will focus on derivatives markets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, most recently worked as counsel for Delta Strategy Group.
A New Orleans native, Thornton received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and his law degree from Mississippi College School of Law.
William Stafford, legislative assistant in Roberts’ Washington personal office: Stafford joins Melvin Thompson, Roberts’ longtime Kansas agricultural assistant.
Stafford most recently served as director of government affairs at the National Association of Wheat Growers. He joined the wheat growers as intern in 2011.
He received a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a minor in business administration, from Towson University. Stafford was born and raised in Bethesda, but his family is from eastern Kansas.
