Press Secretary Kate Meerstein, based in Murphy’s Pittsburgh office, returned after more than three years in D.C. working for Americans for Tax Reform and “Fox News Sunday with Tony Snow.” She came to Washington with a 1999 degree in communications from Penn State University.

Brian Aiello, senior legislative assistant focusing on coordinating economic development, is a native of Lancaster, Pa. He graduated from Penn State University in 1999, majoring in political science and labor relations, and worked for Gekas and for Pennsylvania Sens. Rick Santorum (R) and Arlen Specter (R).

The office manager and scheduler, Rebecca Smith, started on the Hill working for Gekas after getting a degree in government from the University of Virginia. She interned for Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.). Susan Stoner, staff assistant, got a communications degree from Penn State last year and interned for Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.).

Besides Meerstein, the Pittsburgh staff includes Ian Isherwood, special projects and grants coordinator, who has a degree from Gettysburg College in history. He has worked for WQED, a Pittsiburgh public-broadcasting station, and state Sen. John Pippy when he was a state representative.

Serena Jonnet, Pittsburgh congressional aide, graduated from Duquesne University and has worked in local government in the Pittsburgh area.

Amanda Payne, graduate of the University of Colorado, has worked on many campaigns throughout Pennsylvania.

Rep. Tom Udall announces staff shake-ups. Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) recently announced some personnel changes in his Washington, Santa Fe and Rio Rancho offices.

Michael Collins, who had been his legislative assistant for the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, has been named legislative director, with responsibility for the House Committee on Small Business, as well as appropriations, health, defense and homeland security.

Collins replaces Tony Martinez, of Santa Fe, hired as the first director of Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D) Washington, D.C., office, after serving Udall in various capacities since 2000. Collins has a B.A. in government and a M.A. in educational management and development from New Mexico State University.

Udall also promoted Cynthia Cook, of Albuquerque, from legislative correspondent to legislative assistant, where she will assume coverage of issues before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, energy and women’s issues. She received a degree in journalism and women’s studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Coming to the Santa Fe office as special projects coordinator is John “Gabriel” Rivera. He worked as a regional planner after receiving his B.A. from the University of New Mexico in Latin American studies and Spanish, and expects to receive a master’s in planning with focus in economics from there this fall.

Peter Wells was an intern in Udall’s Washington, D.C., office in the summer of 1999 and has interned several times at Rio Rancho since. Now he’s back on a full-time basis to help Field Representative Sarah Cobb on casework and outreach while weighing offers from law schools.