Press Releases

Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (MI-05) announced the Committee’s senior staff for the 119^th Congress:

RJ Laukitis, Staff Director
RJ Laukitis will serve as Staff Director for the House Committee on Education and Workforce. RJ will execute the Committee’s policy goals, so students, parents, workers, and job creators have opportunities to succeed. RJ has served in the House for two decades. He previously served as Chairman Walberg’s Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff for 14 years. Prior to that he spent several years in the office of Rep. Pete Hoekstra.

Ali Watson, Member Services and Coalitions Director
Ali Watson will serve as Director of Member Services and Coalitions for the House Committee on Education and Workforce. In this role, Ali will work with Committee Members, the Republican Conference, and stakeholders to enhance collaboration and support Member priorities. Previously, she served as Chairman Walberg’s Senior Advisor, as well as spending several years at the House Energy and Commerce Committee and in the private sector.

Mindy Barry, General Counsel
Mindy Barry will serve as the General Counsel of the Committee on Education and Workforce, where she will advise on legislative, oversight, and legal issues. Mindy’s previous work on the Hill includes serving as Chief Oversight Counsel for the Judiciary Committee, working on the Science Committee, and working in the offices of Rep. Jim Saxton and Rep. Mac Thornberry. She also practiced law in the private sector.

Audra McGeorge, Communications Director
Audra McGeorge will serve as Director of Communications for the Committee on Education and Workforce, where she will develop and implement the Committee’s media strategy. Working for the Committee since 2019, Audra drove media coverage of the House-wide antisemitism investigation, including the first ever congressional subpoena of a university. Before joining the Committee, Audra served as the Communications Director for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Amy Jones, Director of Education and Human Services Policy
Amy Jones will serve as the Director of Education and Human Services Policy for the Committee on Education and Workforce, where she will continue to advise and recommend policies related to education and workforce development. Amy has served on the Committee for nearly 20 years, working under four previous chairmen: Boehner, McKeon, Kline, and Foxx. Prior to her tenure on the Committee, Amy was an attorney at a boutique law firm.

Joanna Brown, Committee Policy Advisor, Deputy Chief of Staff, MI-05
Joanna Brown will serve as the Policy Advisor for the Education and Workforce Committee and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Chairman Walberg. In this role, Joanna will advise on policy and legislative strategy and coordinate priorities between the Committee and the Chairman’s congressional office. Joanna Brown has served in Walberg’s congressional office since 2011 and most recently was his Legislative Director focusing on Education and Workforce Committee policies.  

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