Senator-Elect Thom Tillis Announces Selection Of Key Staff | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    Washington, D.C.     Senator-elect Thom Tillis today announced the hiring of key staff members in his Washington, D.C. and North Carolina offices.

    "I am grateful to have a talented and hardworking staff that is uniquely qualified to serve North Carolinians over the next six years," said Senator-elect Thom Tillis. "It is important to build a team with a deep knowledge of federal and state issues and experience of achieving results in both North Carolina and on Capitol Hill. I look forward to going to Washington and beginning the work of getting our economy back on track and creating opportunities and jobs for middle-class families."

    John Mashburn will serve as Chief of Staff based in Washington, D.C. Mashburn is a North Carolina native who has nearly 25 years of high-level experience on Capitol Hill in the Senate and the House. He is an expert on Senate rules and procedures that govern the legislative process. He has served in the leadership offices of the Senate Majority Leader, Senate Republican Conference Secretary, and House Majority Whip, and has held leadership positions under the chairman and ranking senator of several committees. For the last three years, Mashburn has simultaneously served as the Executive Director and Senior Executive Vice President for two affiliated public policy non-profit organizations. Mashburn earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

    Debra Jarrett will serve as Administrative Director. Jarrett has 20 years of Capitol Hill experience, including serving as Senator Kelly Ayotte's Administrative Director and Senator Judd Gregg's Office Administrator.

    Jordan Shaw will serve as State Director based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shaw previously served as the Campaign Manager for the Tillis for U.S. Senate campaign and has subsequently led Senator-elect Tillis' transition team, structuring the Washington, D.C. and North Carolina offices. For the first two and a half years of Tillis' tenure as North Carolina House Speaker, Shaw served as Communications Director in the Speaker's Office.

    Chris Hayes will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff. Hayes is an expert on policy issues impacting North Carolina and currently serves as Tillis' Chief of Staff in the House Speaker's Office. Hayes previously served in the Speaker's Office as a Senior Policy Advisor. Hayes earned an M.B.A. from Campbell University in 2007.

    Austen Shearer will serve as Director of Scheduling. Shearer was the Scheduling Director for the Tillis for U.S. Senate campaign. She previously served as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Howard Coble.

    Ray Starling will serve as General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor. Starling is currently the General Counsel to the North Carolina House Speaker's Office and been an adjunct professor of agricultural and food law and policy at the University of North Carolina since 2010. Starling was previously the General Counsel to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services from 2007 to 2012. Starling earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2002.

    Daniel Keylin will serve as Communications Director. Keylin was the Communications Director for the Tillis for U.S. Senate campaign and previously served as the Communications Director of the North Carolina Republican Party and Senator Deb Fischer's successful U.S. Senate campaign in 2012.

    Meghan Burris will serve as Press Secretary. Burris was the Press Secretary for Tillis' U.S. Senate campaign and previously worked as an account manager for the Herald Group in Washington, D.C.

    Contact: Jordan Shaw

      Jordan_Shaw@transition.senate.gov