McMorris Rodgers Announces Washington Natives as New Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff

Washington, D.C. (February 1, 2021) – Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) today announced that Washington native Jared Powell will serve in her Washington, D.C. office as Chief of Staff. Additionally, Washington native Patrick Bell will step into the role of Deputy Chief of Staff for Cathy, serving in the Spokane office. McMorris Rodgers also announced today the additions of Kyle VonEnde, who will serve as Communications Director, and Liz Payne, who will serve as Legislative Director.

“With this new Congress comes a renewed commitment to serve the people of Eastern Washington. After what was a challenging year for so many, I’m excited to see how we can overcome our challenges and build a brighter future for our region,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Jared has been a superb member of my team for many years, and with his leadership, I’m confident this team will excel in getting results for Washington’s Fifth District.”

• Born and raised in Washington state, Jared received bachelor’s degrees from Washington State University in Political Science and Philosophy.
• During his nearly six years with Cathy’s team, Jared has worked in a variety of roles to get results for people in Eastern Washington, starting as Staff Assistant and serving most recently as Communications Director.

Other key staff announcements include:

Patrick Bell – Deputy Chief of Staff

• Patrick grew up on his family alfalfa and cattle ranch in Springdale, WA. He earned his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University, and later received his M.P.A from Seattle University.
• Patrick has served in a variety of leadership positions during his five years on Cathy’s team – in both her Washington, D.C. and Spokane District offices. Most recently, he served as District Director.

Kyle VonEnde – Communications Director

• Born and raised in New Jersey, Kyle received his bachelor’s degree from American University in Political Science and History.
• Kyle is returning to the McMorris Rodgers team after serving as Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18)’s Communications Director for two years. He previously worked under McMorris Rodgers as a Communications Assistant during her tenure as House Republican Conference Chair. 

Liz Payne – Legislative Director

• Liz is an accomplished policy professional with nearly 7 years of experience working on Capitol Hill. Throughout her career, Liz has held nearly every position in a Congressional office, beginning as a Staff Assistant and working her way up to Legislative Director.  She also made a pit stop in the press and communications world.
• Most recently, Liz served as Legislative Director for Congressman Scott Tipton (CO-03), leading the Congressman’s work on the Natural Resources Committee, Congressional Western Caucus, and House Energy Action Team.

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