Congressman Tom Perriello announced staff hires today, introducing his constituents to the team of people who will be serving them. The staff reflects Perriello’s strong commitment to hiring people from the 5th district.
“My staff is here to serve the people of the 5th district. Our team has the right mix of experience in the district and on Capitol Hill, and we are ready to serve,” said Perriello. “In particular, I’m excited that Ridge Schuyler will be my district director; his extensive experience in Washington as well as with agricultural and rural development issues in Virginia will be a great asset for constituents.”
Perriello will announce additional district staff hires in the coming weeks.
Ridge Schuyler, District Director
A native of Orange County and a graduate of UVA School of Law, Ridge Schuyler will serve as Perriello’s district director. Previously, Schuyler served as chief-of-staff for U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher in Virginia’s 9th District; he then served for eight years as legislative director for U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb of Virginia, where he drafted legislation to modify the federal tobacco program to help Virginia farmers. Most recently, he was director of the Piedmont program of the Nature Conservancy in Charlottesville, where he has played a key role in water-supply issues in the region. He is married and has two sons.
As district director, Schuyler will manage all district offices and district staff. He will also serve as the primary representative for Perriello when Perriello himself cannot be in the district. Today, he will be kicking off a week-long tour, meeting with every county administrator and city manager in the district about their projects and priorities for the upcoming economic recovery package.
Lise Clavel, Chief-of-Staff
Most recently, Lise Clavel was the campaign manager for Perriello’s congressional bid. Previously, she worked in education technology for Scholastic, Inc. and has also been a teacher. She is a graduate of Yale University.
Esther Page, District Office Manager (Charlottesville)
Esther Page comes to Perriello’s office with 18 years’ experience serving the 5th district through the congressional offices of former Reps. Virgil H. Goode, Jr. and L.F. Payne, Jr. A native and resident of Nelson County, Page will oversee the Charlottesville district office operations and handle constituent casework. Before joining Congress, she worked as an office supervisor for the University of Virginia’s architectural and engineering services. She is a volunteer with the Roseland Volunteer Rescue Squad, is married, and has two sons and two grandchildren.
Jessica Barba, Press Secretary
Jessica Barba worked with Perriello through faith-based organizing, and most recently worked as Perriello’s communications director for his campaign. Prior to this, she worked in communications in the nonprofit sector, with the organizations CancerCare and City Year, a youth public service organization.
Beth Elliott, Legislative Director
A native of Campbell County, Beth Elliott will serve as Perriello’s legislative director. She will advise Perriello on all legislative issues and votes, and manage the legislative staff. Previously, Elliott was legislative assistant to Rep. John Salazar of Colorado and Rep. Dennis Cardoza of California. Her first job in politics was as a press intern for former Gov. Mark Warner’s gubernatorial campaign. She holds a M.A. in Political Management from George Washington University.
Logan Ferree, Legislative Assistant
A native of Roanoke and a graduate of the College of William & Mary, Logan Ferree will serve as a legislative assistant. Previously, he was scheduler and research director on Perriello’s campaign staff based in the Danville office, and prior to that he worked on a gubernatorial campaign in Mississippi.
Ericke Cage, Legislative Counsel
A native of Halifax County and a former teacher in Halifax County public schools, Ericke Cage will serve as legislative counsel, advising Perriello on legislative and legal issues. Previously, Cage was a legislative fellow at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Congressional Fellow. Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech; he also holds a law degree from Rutgers University and a Master’s of Law from George Washington University.
