The beliefs and convictions of a member of Congress are important determinant of his or her votes. But effectiveness? That depends on the staff he or she assembles. Here is the official team of newly-minted Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna).
This is the first of three features on Pa.’s newest members of Congress. Stay tuned for freshmen Reps. Scott Perry (R-York) and Keith Rothfus (R-Allegheny).
Chief of Staff: Hunter Ridgway
Home: Jackson, Mississippi
College: University of Virginia
Ridgway, 51, is from the Deep South, born in Mississippi and lived in Tennessee and Alabama, but he considers himself “from” DC and has worked for Northeast Democrats his entire career. For most of it, he served as chief of staff for a Massachusetts congressman, John Olver, who also was the top Democrat on the transportation appropriations subcommittee.
Legislative Director: Jeremy Marcus
Home: Brookline, MA
College: Stanford University
Marcus moved to Washington, D.C. after serving as a Presidential Management Fellow. He has worked for Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va) and John Kerry (D-MA), and two members of Congress, serving most recently as Legislative Director for Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO).
Communications Director: Shane Seaver
Home: Valley Forge, PA
College: James Madison University
Seaver managed Cartwright’s campaign from the start, including his improbable primary win. He’s worked on a plethora of Democratic campaigns previously.
Scheduler: Daniela Amodei
Home: San Francisco, CA
College: University of California, Santa Cruz
Amodei was a member of Cartwright’s campaign handling all field related activities and working out of the Scranton Campaign office and has an extensive background in policy and non-profit work.
District Director: Bob Morgan
Home: Mountain Top, PA
College: King’s College
Morgan has spent the last 25 years in financial services where he was responsible for providing investment and client relationship services to individuals and institutions. He has been active in Luzerne County politics and brings a wealth of organizational and personnel management skills to the team.
Senior Economic Development Specialist: Bill Hanley
Home: Pottsville, PA
College: University of Scranton
Hanley worked with Rep. Tim Holden (D-Schuylkill) for the last 20 years and will handle special projects including grant writing for the district.
14 Responses
You were a voice of reason, intellect and much needed questioning at the recent Flint water crisis hearing. Please stay in the game for questioning of gov snyder and “Manager” Early. The country needs to see accountability for actions taken.
Congressman Cartwright
Washington DC Office 7/2/2013
1419 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Attn Congressman Cartwright,
My name is Robert. This letter is a follow up on my continued efforts to receive answers from the United States government on subjects of particular interest to me. For the past several months I have called your offices, E-mailed your offices and written communications for your offices both here in Pennsylvania and Washington DC.
On May 30, 2013 I hand delivered documents to your Scranton Pa office. On June 28, 2009 during a phone conversation your chief of staff Hunter Ridgway told me that he felt I wouldn’t like the reply from your office if I was provided one for the questions I asked in the May 30, 2013 letters. I think I should be provided with a reply. Then allow for me to decide if I like it or not.
1. In regards to the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration,
Please explain what your intentions are in regards to the employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration ability to use Clear and Unmistakable Errors to deny claims for disability compensation without ever having to access the veterans medical records. This process of intentionally denying claims for disability causes undue hardships and stress on the life veterans and that of veterans family. Added stress during a time already filled with stresses caused by the transition from the separation from military service. The denied claims require appeals that cause longer waiting periods for benefits earned for serving this country honorably. The appeals process also adds to the huge backlog of claims waiting to be processed. Currently over 750,000 claims are waiting in the backlog. The number of people the government pays prior to providing disability compensation to the veteran is staggering…
2. In regards to the Food and Drug Administration,
My interest is in knowing how Marijuana is a schedule 1 drug with no medical uses by the same government that prescribes Marijuana as a medicine to the patients of the Compassionate Investigative New Drug Program. US Patent #6630507 also outlines some of the known medicinal uses of Marijuana. Marinol is a Marijuana product currently sold as medicine by big pharmaceutical companies in the United States. This contradiction of facts between the current schedule rating of Marijuana and the medical facts is of particular interest to me and has caused the government of the United States to punish people for the use of Marijuana as medicine. It has also criminalized recreational users for enjoying the uses of Marijuana outside the medical field. In a state that earns a profit from the sales of Alcohol and Tobacco the criminalization of Marijuana is rather interesting to me.
If it is your offices intentions to discourage my efforts by dismissing my request for assistance please come out and provide that in writing as well. It should be noted I did not vote for your staff, I voted for you Congressman Cartwright. I do not agree with being discouraged by your staff to the point of frustration and stress. I did not serve in the United States Marine Corps to live in a dictatorship thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Robert
I have waited over a year for a written confermation/understanding from congressman cartwright recognizing the intentional denial of veterans disability compensation claims.. the documents I provided show how the va denied my claims without using my medical records or providing an opportunity for me to be part of the claims process.. my request for assistance was responded to by the philly va with a denied claim.. what is congress doing?? telling me to file and appeal and wait.. and wait.. and wait.. until I am dead… the congress is FUBAR and enable the destruction of veterans lives… 2poor4justice
To Jeremy Marcus
I have posted a comment on our energy policy. org. If you wish to know more contact me at the e-mail address above. I leave you with the following idea, The best way to kill something you do not like to to make it uneconomic in the market place. If you do not like fossil fuels then make them uneconomic and that may be possible
Respectfully yours. Bruce Best
U.S. Pat Toomey (R-Pa) & senator David Vitter (R-La) have co-sponsored a bill to set congressional term limits. In 1947 the U.S. congress passed a bill to amend our constitution limiting the serving time of a president to 2 four year terms. That XXII amendment was ratified in 1951 and has been in effect ever since. It’s ashamed that congress didn’t have the foresight or gumption to set term limits for senators & members of the house. In my mind senators should be limited to 2 six year terms and house members to 3 two year terms. This is sufficient time to accomplish what needs to be done for their constituency—–which by the way is the reason they elected in the first place. It’s going to be a “ tough row to hoe ” because nobody likes to vote themselves out of a job. With a lot of freshmen in Washington there should be a good jump start on it. Convincing some of the old-timers ( many of whom won’t re-elected many more times anyway ) would be a step in the right direction. do something now for the good of America and all Americans. Get all elected officials together & get all Americans behind them to give them senator support. Let’s get the job done and put term limits into place
I know an unemployed woman from the district haha.
He’s put together a nice staff. I think they’ll hit the ground running, combining DC effectiveness with hometown responsiveness. I met Hunter last week and was thoroughly impressed. Good luck to the staff, although I don’t think you’ll need any. You will do fine.
Mike Szustak worked hard on the Cartwright campaign! It is a shame he was missed on this article. Mike will be a good aide to Matt. This staff is really coming together.
Lois, We have hired five women this week. Hiring staff for a Congressional Office is an ongoing process.
Where are the women, except in the traditional scheduler’s job? What does this say about his views on women in general? Will he fight for equal opportunity? Will he defend reproductive rights? Will these issues even get any attention from this staff?
Westernpademo-
I never met him. He’s certainly experienced; etc., and I’m sure he’s certainly (obviously) more of a D.C. Pick, but he may have to brush up on the District a little. Im sure He’s Great. I’d pick all my people from my District (Personal preference).
I met Hunter Ridgeway during the final days of the election. One of the nicest and most professional people I have ever met. Mr. Cartwright is very lucky to have him.
I’m not particularly a fan of hiring out-of-staters. I’d hire as many as I could from my district.
You forgot about my fellow PA Young Democrats board member Mike Szustak who is also joining Matt’s Capitol Hill staff! Huzzah Szustak! Very proud.