New U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice has set her congressional staff for offices in Washington and Garden City, the Democrat’s hometown.
Rice, who was previously the Nassau County District Attorney for eight years, has selected Nell Reilly as her chief of staff in Washington and Cheryl Rice, her former sister-in-law, as her district director in Garden City.
Reilly has worked for New York congressmen for 10 years, most recently as deputy chief of staff and legislative director to the retired Rep. Bill Owens (D-Plattsburgh).
Cheryl Rice was previously Kathleen Rice’s executive assistant.
She was named to the position shortly after Kathleen Rice took office as district attorney in 2006, following a five-year stretch as a campus coordinator and event manager at Suffolk Community College and 12 years as a contract coordinator and executive assistant at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
In addition, former campaign aide Max Kramer will be Kathleen Rice’s senior community representative in Garden City, while Coleman Lamb, the director of communications and policy on Rice’s recent congressional campaign, will be her communications director in Washington.
“I’m pleased to announce these decisions to our staff, and I’m proud that we’ve been able to attract top-tier staffers with roots in New York’s Fourth Congressional District,” Rice said in a statement last Wednesday. “I can’t wait to get to work and I have no doubt we’ll hit the ground running next Tuesday.”
The Fourth Congressional District of New York includes Baldwin, Bellmore, East Meadow, the Five Towns, Lynbrook, Floral Park, Franklin Square, Garden City, Hempstead, Long Beach, Malverne, Merrick, Mineola, Carle Place, New Hyde Park, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Roosevelt, Uniondale, West Hempstead, Westbury and the Willistons.
Rice was sworn into office on Jan. 6. She succeeds former U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), 70, who retired after serving nine terms in Congress.
Rice defeated Long Beach Republican Bruce Blakeman, a former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, in November’s election. She previously unseated 31-year incumbent Dennis Dillon as district attorney.
