Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) today announced senior Republican staff for the House Natural Resources Committee in the 114th Congress.

“With the input of members and our state and local partners, the Committee spent the past two months developing a new subcommittee structure that will strengthen oversight capacity and reinforce legislative priorities.  Today, I am proud to announce the senior Republican staff I have tasked with advancing this new agenda over the next two years,” said Chairman Bishop. “Through work in various professional capacities on Capitol Hill and in the private sector, these individuals bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Committee.”

Bill Cooper will serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and Senior Policy Advisor:  Cooper, who will join the Committee in March, has worked on oil and gas issues for over three decades.  He currently serves as president of the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG), a trade association of LNG producers, shippers, terminal operators and developers, and energy trade associations.   Prior to CLNG, Cooper was a partner at Hunton & Williams LLP.  He also served as counsel to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, and previously practiced law in Tennessee.

Chris Fluhr will serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs: Fluhr has been working on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs issues for the Committee since 2003.  His prior experience with the Committee includes serving as Staff Director on the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Minority Full Committee Chief of Staff, and most recently Staff Director on the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs under Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA).  Prior to the Committee, Fluhr worked as Legislative Director in the personal office of U.S. Representative Don Young (R-AK). 

Rob Gordon will serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Senior Policy Advisor on the Endangered Species Act: Gordon has worked on natural resources issues for over 20 years, focusing on endangered species, property rights, federal lands, and conservation issues.  He previously served as Professional Staff on the House Resources Committee.  Gordon has also worked on conservation issues in various roles outside of Capitol Hill, most recently as a Senior Advisor at The Heritage Foundation and as Board Member of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Board of Conservation and Recreation. 

Lisa Pittman will serve as Chief Counsel for the House Natural Resources Committee: Pittman has served as the Committee’s Chief Republican Counsel since 2000.  Prior to that, she served as the Committee’s Deputy Chief Counsel, transitioning from the former Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee following the Full Committee’s restructuring in 1995.  On the Merchant Marine Committee, she served as Republican Counsel for ocean and Great Lakes issues, including coastal zone management, the Law of the Sea, nautical charting, invasive species, coastal pollution and marine sanctuaries.  Before coming to Capitol Hill, Pittman was an attorney advisor in various roles with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Erica Rhoad will serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Federal Lands:  For the past two years, Rhoad served as Federal Liaison for the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. Her prior experience on Capitol Hill includes serving as Professional Staff on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the House Natural Resources Committee, and tenures in the personal offices of U.S. Representatives Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Bob Schaffer (R-CO).  Prior to that, Rhoad served as Director of Policy at the Society of American Foresters, and as government affairs advisor at Ball Janik, LLP, where she represented clients on natural resources issues.  

Kiel Weaver will serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans: Weaver has served as the top Republican staff on the Water and Power Subcommittee for over a decade.  Prior to working on the Committee, Weaver’s Capitol Hill tenure includes stints as Legislative Director for former U.S. Representative Rick Hill (R-MT) and Legislative Assistant for former U.S. Senator Rod Grams (R-MN). 

Parish Braden will serve as Communications Director for the House Natural Resources Committee:  Braden joins the Committee from the personal office of U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, where he served as Communications Director since 2011. Previously he worked at the Republican National Committee as the Press Secretary for the Northeast Region and earlier served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD).

Details on the specific jurisdiction of each of the five Subcommittees will be announced following the Committee’s formal organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.