Murkowski Welcomes New Staff Members to D.C. and Anchorage Offices
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced new staff members to both her Washington D.C. and Anchorage offices.
“I work hard every day to represent all Alaskans. Our state has so many unique and often challenging needs that must be met, so having a strong staff behind me that really understands Alaska is pivotal,” said Senator Murkowski. “I’m proud to add a number of new individuals to my team—each of whom comes with a specific set of skills and experience that I’m confident will be of great benefit to our state. I’m looking forward to all the good work we have ahead.”
Joining Senator Murkowski’s D.C. office:
Kate Williams Sterne returns to the office as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel. Kate graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law. Kate has ample Capitol Hill experience, having previously served as Legislative Director for Senator Ted Stevens, Oil and Gas Counsel for the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Senator Murkowski, and Counsel for Majority Whip Senator John Cornyn. Kate has also served in a number of roles in Alaska including as an Associate Attorney, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Alaska Oil & Gas Association, Business Manager for a leading commercial construction company, and most recently Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alaska. Kate is from Juneau, Alaska.
Aaron Thiele joined the office in January as a Legislative Assistant handling Energy and Natural Resource issues. Aaron previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the Department of the Interior, where he worked on issues pertaining to United States Geological Survey, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Prior to joining the Department of Interior, Aaron previously worked in the House of Representatives and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Chris Griffin joins the office as a Legislative Aide assisting with a portfolio of energy issues, including the Department of Energy, renewable energy, climate change, energy efficiency, and nuclear energy. In January, Chris joined Senator Murkowski’s personal staff from previously serving as a member of her U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee staff, where he was also a Legislative Aide working on public lands and natural resource issues. Chris graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University. Chris is from Anchorage, Alaska.
Jamie O'Connor joined the office several months ago as a Legislative Assistant for fisheries, oceans, and sciences. Jamie is a fifth generation Alaskan and salmon fisherman from Bristol Bay, Alaska where she set nets with her family each summer. Jamie graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Communication. This is a return to Capitol Hill for Jamie who previously served in the office of Senator Dan Sullivan in 2015-2016 as Senior Staff Assistant and Internship Coordinator. Prior to joining Senator Murkowski’s staff, Jamie served as the Working Waterfronts Director for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) out of Homer, Alaska as well as serving on the Advisory Panel to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Her fisheries experience also includes the AMCC Young Fishing Fellowship with the North Pacific Fisheries Association and contract fisheries communications work.
Maya Becker joins the office as the 2021 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant Knauss Fellow. Maya earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, both in earth sciences. Maya is currently a PhD candidate at Scripps Oceanography, and her dissertation research is centered on ice–ocean interactions on Antarctica's largest floating ice shelves. During her graduate studies, she spent time in McCarthy, Alaska, for a glaciology course organized by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Abigail Hemenway recently joined the office as a Legislative Correspondent. Previously, she served as a Staff Assistant for the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Abigail holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Miami Florida. She was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska.
Brian Dusek joins the office as Deputy Press Secretary. Brian graduated from Colorado State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. Prior to serving on Senator Murkowski’s staff, Brian was an intern for the CBS News communications team, an intern in Senator Dan Sullivan’s office in the summer of 2019, and an intern in Senator Murkowski’s office in 2017. Brian was born and raised in Soldotna, Alaska.
Joining Senator Murkowski’s Anchorage office:
Cordelia Kellie joins the office as Special Assistant for Rural Affairs. Cordelia Qi?ñaaq Kellie is Iñupiaq, and comes from the Tagarook and James families from Wainwright on the North Slope. Her career has included communications and external affairs, tribal education, rural community development, legislative affairs on the state and federal levels, language and cultural instruction, and building regional and statewide rural and Alaska Native relationships through grassroots community organizing. Cordelia received her bachelor’s degree in English Language and Rhetoric and a minor in Communications from UAA. She is a 2021 NANA Richard A. Baenen Award winner for outstanding service to the Northwest Arctic. For her work in language revitalization and community building, she has also received the 2020 AFN Eileen Panigeo Maclean President’s Award for Education and was 2020 Olgoonik Corporation Shareholder of the Year. Her board service has included the Alaska State Council on the Arts, appointed by former Governor Walker; Alaska Humanities Forum as Board Secretary, Get Out the Native Vote, and the Anchorage Symphony, and is an Advisory Group Alternate for the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages for the Arctic Region. She was born in Anchorage, raised in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, has lived in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Utqia?vik.
Hannah Ray is relocating to the Anchorage office after being promoted to Deputy Communications Director. Hannah has served in Senator Murkowski’s D.C. office as Press Secretary since 2017. Hannah has a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations from the University of Central Arkansas Honor College. Prior to working in Senator Murkowski’s office, Hannah served as the Community Events Manager for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Anchorage. During her tenure at ACS, she worked in communities across the state to help manage events and develop patient services for cancer patients in rural Alaska.
Leann Sommer joins the office as the Alaska State Scheduler. Leann is Athabascan and of the Louden Tribe. Leann holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration: Tourism and Hospitality Management from Fort Lewis College. She has been working in the tourism industry in Alaska throughout the last decade. Most recently Leann was the Director of Sales at the Hyatt Place Anchorage-Midtown and received two awards during her time there: The 2020 National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development Native American 40 Under 40 and the Alaska Hotel and Lodging Association 2019 Sales Manager of the Year. Previously, she was an Associate Consultant at OSIYO Communications, LLC. working with Indian Country. Leann is from Galena, Alaska.
Hannah McCue joins the office as a Staff Assistant. Hannah recently graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, specializing in Conservation, Resources, and Sustainability with a minor in Chemistry. Hannah previously interned in Senator Murkowski’s Anchorage office in 2020 and the D.C. office in 2017. Prior to joining the office, Hannah volunteered for a sustainability initiative in Oregon focusing on watershed restoration. Her family has lived in Anchorage, Alaska for the past twelve years.
