WASHINGTON, D.C. – First District Representative Tracey Mann has announced his Congressional staff for Washington, D.C., and Kansas.
Washington, D.C., staff
Chief of Staff: Brandon Harder of Haven, Kan. Harder has worked in and around the Kansas Congressional Delegation for over a decade. He served as Senator Jerry Moran’s Agriculture and Trade Advisor and served Chairman Moran at the National Republican Senatorial Committee where he helped Republicans regain control of the U.S. Senate. Harder has spent the last six years representing agriculture, trade, and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. Harder is a native of the Big First where he grew up on a hay and cattle operation before attending Kansas State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in animal science. He and his wife Kristina will split time between Washington D.C. and Kansas.
Legislative Director | Counsel: Riley Pagett of Woodward, Okla. Pagett was born in Liberal, Kansas and grew up 50 miles south of the border near his family’s cow calf operation. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and a Juris Doctor degree from American University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Pagett worked for the House Agriculture Committee, Senator James Lankford, the National FFA Organization, and most recently as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Riley, his wife Lauren, and their son Ford live in Washington, D.C.
Communications Director | Military Legislative Assistant: Laura Schlapp of Wichita, Kan. Laura received a Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communication from Wichita State University. She worked for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Kansas and Senator Pat Roberts in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Schlapp served in the administration for the Department of Defense and most recently served as Regional Media Director for Vice President Mike Pence. Schlapp and her husband Bryan reside in Alexandria, Virginia.
Deputy Legislative Director: Katherine Thomas of Wichita, Kan. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in biology from the College of William and Mary and has worked in the Kansas delegation for seven-and-a-half years. She began her career working for former Representative Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, Thomas worked on agriculture issues for Senator Pat Roberts, both as a Legislative Assistant on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry and as Senior Agriculture Policy Advisor in his personal office.
Legislative Correspondent: Cale Beam of Topeka, Kan. Beam received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and economics from Washburn University. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Beam served as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rick Billinger and worked on the legislative relations team for the Kansas Contractors Association and for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
Staff Assistant: Michaela Todd of Baldwin City, Kan. Todd is a fourth generation Kansan who attended Highland Community College and received a Bachelor of Science in communication and political science from Emporia State University. Todd started her career as an intern for former Representative Lynn Jenkins and was selected for the America’s Future Writing Fellows Program and the Heritage Foundation Young Leaders Program. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Todd served as a Field Representative at Mann for Congress.
Staff Assistant: Brycen Gulick of Caney, Kan. Gulick received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Washburn University. Gulick started his career as an intern for Kansas State Senator Rob Olson and served as Legislative and Policy Assistant for Governor Jeff Colyer. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Gulick served as Political Director at Mann for Congress.
Scheduler: Emily Woods of Wichita, Kan. Woods attended Butler Community College where she was on the soccer team and received a Bachelor of Science in human resources management at Kansas State University. She also studied aboard in Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s Washington, D.C. staff, Woods was an intern for Governor Jeff Colyer and served as the Finance Director at Mann for Congress.
Kansas staff
District Director: Reid Petty of Liberal, Kan. Petty received a Bachelor of Arts in education from Oklahoma Panhandle State University and was elected to serve on the USD 480 Board of Education. Petty also was elected and served in the Kansas House of Representatives for the 125th District. Prior to joining Rep. Mann’s team, he worked as Senator Jerry Moran’s SW Kansas District Director. Petty and his wife Hannah have a son, Nicholas, and reside in Manhattan.
Constituent Services Director | Community Outreach: Martha Ruiz-Mendoza of California. Ruiz-Mendoza attended Cabot College in National City, Calif., but considers Kansas home. She has lived in Kansas for 26 years and worked for Senator Pat Roberts for 19 and-a-half years. Ruiz-Mendoza loves helping constituents and is excited to continue supporting Kansans in the First District. She is a mother to three children: Joe, Gio, and Alexyss.