Paul Burdette

Paul Burdette s a senior legislative and policy analyst on the democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee covering issues related to the Indo Pacific and cyber and critical and emerging technology policy. He has served on the Committee since 2018. Prior to working in the Senate, Paul spent two years in Germany, first as a Fulbright Scholar and later working on issues related to international relations. He holds a master’s degree in Asian Studies and Security Studies from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, where he was also a Foreign Languages and Area Studies fellow studying Mandarin Chinese. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and German from Rhodes College. He speaks, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese.

Meagan Devlin

Meagan Devlin is a Senior Professional Staff Member for the Majority staff on the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. In this role, she handles policy connected to national security issues that relate to border security. Previously, she worked on the oversight subcommittee on the House Committee on Homeland Security. Prior to joining the Committee, Meagan worked for Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), Senator John Boozman (R-AR), and the U.S. House of Representatives Office of the Clerk. Meagan is originally from northern California. She holds a degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

David Dorfman

David Dorfman is Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the House Select Committee on China. Most recently, he led multiple high-profile investigatory and legislative efforts, including leading the drafting, strategy and bipartisan negotiations for the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Previously, he served in senior roles with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the House Homeland Security Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Asia Subcommittee. He also served as General Counsel and Legislative Director to the Vice Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Before Capitol Hill, David practiced law at a global firm in Hong Kong. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice and spent time at the Motion Picture Association, following a career as an award-winning actor in Hollywood. David earned his B.A. from UCLA and J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was among its youngest graduates in history after starting college at 13. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was recently featured in Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30” list.

Thomas Eager

Thomas Eager started with House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in July 2015 after receiving his Master of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service in May of that year. His previous policy experience includes graduate student positions with the Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, as well as in the Office of the Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense. Prior to attending Georgetown, Thomas worked for crisis communications and public affairs clients at a public relations firm in Washington. Thomas graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from Tufts University. He has also studied Arabic and lived overseas in both Egypt and Syria. A Maryland native, Thomas currently resides with his wife and son in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of northwest Washington, DC.

Graham Harwood

Graham Harwood is a Professional Staff Member on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability Minority staff, Graham focuses on national security, foreign policy, cybersecurity, energy, and government operations. While at University of Chicago, he taught writing and microeconomics and served as the Executive Editor for Commentary at the Chicago Policy Review. Additionally, he co-authored a white paper regarding civilian military relations and the media that sparked a conference including Jon Stewart, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, and VA Secretary Denis McDonough. He also served as a legislative intern for Congressman Mike Quigley in the summer of 2022. Before graduate school, Graham worked as a software engineer and quantitative analyst for trading firms and banks across asset classes including equities, indices, commodity futures, and physical commodities as well as previous work in aerospace manufacturing. While studying Information Systems at Cornell University’s College of Engineering, Graham worked in research on computational analysis of political speech and managing bipolar disorder through mobile sensing as well as volunteering as a firefighter for the Cayuga Heights Fire Department.

Samuel Parker Kaardal

Samuel Parker Kaardal is a professional staff member on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Republican staff where he works on the Technology Modernization and Oversight & Investigations subcommittees. Sam attended Boston University where he was a member of the Army ROTC program and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international relations in 2017. He was commissioned into the Army Reserves upon graduating college and is currently serving as a logistics officer. Sam has held positions as platoon leader, company executive officer, plans officer, and company commander. After graduating college, he worked on a congressional campaign in Minnesota and after winning that race, he moved to Washington, DC in 2019 to start working at the House of Representatives. Sam has previously held positions as staff assistant, legislative correspondent, and legislative assistant in personal offices in the House. He is currently enrolled in the Fleet Seminar Program at the Navy War College.

Ashleigh Padgett

Ashleigh Padgett serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA). In her current role, she leads the Congressman’s legislative team and the implementation of the Congressman’s legislative priorities. Her legislative portfolio includes energy, transportation and infrastructure, and environmental policy, as well as the Congressman’s Committee on House Administration work. Ashleigh holds a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government from Wofford College. She is originally from South Carolina and currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia. In her spare time, she enjoys walks with her dog, Eugene, traveling, and cheering on D.C. United. 

Bowen Peard

Bowen Peard serves as the Defense Policy Advisor for Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), managing his work on defense and homeland security appropriations and advising him on issues including national security, veterans’ affairs, homeland security, intelligence, and manufacturing. Before joining Senator Murphy’s team in November 2023, Bo was Congresswoman Susie Lee’s Legislative Director, overseeing her legislative team and driving forward her policy agenda. Bo was previously Rep. Lee’s Military Legislative Assistant and before that a Nuclear Security Working Group Fellow in Rep. Derek Kilmer’s office (D-WA). Bo came to Capitol Hill after supporting a number of 2020 political campaigns in New England and working as a Special Assistant for Political Affairs at the Japanese Consulate General in Boston. Bo’s first job was teaching high school history at a small school in Hollywood, California, before he moved on to pursue a career in the policy space. Bo earned an M.A. in Security Studies and International Law from the Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 2019, and he graduated from Princeton University in 2015 with a B.A. in Near Eastern History.

Jill Ricotta

Jill Ricotta is the National Security Legislative Assistant for Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA), where she advises the senator on all issues related to defense, foreign policy, and homeland security. Previously, she was a National Security Legislative Aide for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and a Regional Security Advisor at the International Monetary Fund, focused on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. She has also worked at the National Endowment for Democracy and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. She holds a master’s degree from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a bachelors from the University at Buffalo. A native of Buffalo, New York, she a die-hard fan of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. She also enjoys following Formula One and roots for Ferrari.

Teresa Schuster

Teresa Schuster is a legislative aide in the United States Senate focusing on defense, national security, and foreign affairs policy. 


  

 

Hannah Schwartz

Hannah Schwartz is the Military Legislative Assistant to Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), where she serves as the Senator’s primary advisor on defense and foreign policy as a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and as Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference. She was previously the Military Legislative Assistant to former Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), a defense appropriator and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Hannah has also worked under Mackenzie Eaglen, a defense budget and force planning expert at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. Hannah graduated with distinction from the United States Naval War College with a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies and earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the George Washington University with a concentration in Security Policy. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Hannah is a devoted Cardinals fan. In DC, she spends her free time at the nearest F45 gym or volunteering with the Junior League of Washington.

Cole Stevens

Cole Stevens is the Press Secretary and Speechwriter for the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) majority staff. In this capacity, he leads national security communications for the SASC Chairman, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), and serves as committee press spokesperson. Cole also serves as an officer in the U.S. Army National Guard, with mobilizations to include protection of the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, COVID-19 relief operations, and various natural disaster and civil unrest response missions. Prior to joining SASC, Cole was the Communications Officer at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a Washington, DC-based national security think tank. Cole is currently pursuing an M.A. in Defense and Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate of The University of Texas at Austin Army ROTC program, where he earned a B.S. in Public Relations and Business. In his free time, he serves as the president of the University of Texas alumni association in DC and enjoys backpacking and traveling.

Jeff Tomkowitz

Jeff Tomkowitz is the Senior Legislative Assistant for Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-IA). He handles the Defense, National Security, Science and Technology, Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure, Homeland Security, and Telecommunications portfolios for the office. Prior to working in Congress, Jeff spent 4 years working in public affairs and public relations in Iowa, leading and managing several statewide advocacy and public relations projects. He directed projects that involved state and federal issues, coalition building, event organization, grassroots and grasstops recruitment, and community relations. Previously, he worked as Projects Coordinator for the Office of Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and managed multiple statewide projects focusing on the Iowa Caucuses and a College Voter Registration Drive. He started his career working on political campaigns, including campaigns in Iowa and Virginia between 2012 and 2014. Jeff is a Pittsburgh-area native and graduated from the University of Akron with a B.A. in Political Science. 

Camilla Vogt

Camilla Vogt is the National Security Advisor for Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), where she leads the defense, foreign affairs, veterans, and homeland security policy portfolios. She previously served as the Policy Manager on the senator’s 2020 campaign. Camilla began her career on Capitol Hill working in the offices of then-Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and Senator Michael Bennet. She has also worked with social entrepreneurs at business accelerators in Colorado, Guatemala, and the United Kingdom. Camilla holds a master’s degree in public policy with distinction from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rotary Scholar, and a bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from Colorado College. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College. Camilla was a 2023 Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leader and a 2022-2023 Penn Kemble Fellow with the National Endowment for Democracy. A dual citizen of the United States and Mexico, she speaks English, Spanish, and French.

Megan Wenrich

Megan Wenrich is the Senior Policy Advisor for Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), where she supports the Congressman in his Vice Chairmanship on the House Natural Resources committee, and spearheads the Civil Space, Technology, Agriculture, and Appropriations portfolio of legislative work. Previously she has worked for the non-profit Space Foundation, and NASA. Megan began her career on the Hill. She is a 2012 graduate of Butler University with a political science degree, where she enjoyed the Butler Bulldog’s back to back NCAA championship game runs. She currently resides in DC with her husband; enjoys movies, crocheting, reading and gardening.

Russell Willig

Russell Willig is a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) on the staff of Vice Chairman Rubio.