U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced several new and recent additions to her Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee staff. The new hires are Nicole Daigle as Communications Director, Kip Knudson and Michelle Lane as Professional Staff Members, Dr. Ben Reinke as a fellow from the American Nuclear Society, Deanna Mitchell as a Bevinetto Fellow, Krystal Edens as a Staff Assistant, and Susan Fleurant as a non-designated Staff Assistant.

“I am very excited to have Nicole, Kip, Michelle, Ben, Deanna, Krystal, and Susan on my committee team,” Murkowski said. “These skilled and talented individuals will help me serve those at home as I continue to fight for Alaska’s priorities in Washington, DC.”

Daigle joins the committee with 14 years of high-level communications and business experience in the oil and natural gas, petrochemical, utility, clean coal, and nuclear industries. She most recently worked for the American Petroleum Institute, America’s Natural Gas Alliance, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Daigle earned her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of New Orleans.    

Knudson joins the committee after serving as the Alaska Governor’s director of state and federal relations from 2011 to 2015 and will focus primarily on Alaska oil, natural gas, and mining issues. Prior to working in the Governor’s office, Knudson worked at the Tesoro Corporation, the Alaska Department of Transportation, Era Aviation, and the Alaska State Legislature. Knudson received a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University.

Lane joins the committee after serving as Legislative Director and a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Dan Benishek of Michigan’s First Congressional District and will cover public lands and natural resource issues for the committee. She previously worked for Acequia, Prudential Financial, and her family’s real estate firm. Lane graduated from Vanderbilt with a B.S. in human and organizational development.

Dr. Reinke joins the committee after being a NASA Space Technology Research Fellow and working on a DOE project to develop and characterize high-temperature silicon carbide-based radiation detector for safeguards in molten salt reprocessing environments. Dr. Reinke received a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering in 2016, a M.S. in nuclear engineering in 2015, and a B.S. in physics and French in 2010, all from the Ohio State University.

Mitchell is a Bevinetto Fellow from the National Park Service who joined the committee in January. She spent seven months in 2015 working on the Department of the Interior’s interagency team to implement the “Every Kid in a Park” initiative. In 2005, Mitchell was selected as Site Manager for the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Alabama and served in that capacity for ten years. She also served as Acting Superintendent of the Tuskegee park sites and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Prior to joining the National Park Service in 2005, Mitchell worked for the Departments of the Navy, Air Force, and Transportation.

Edens joins the committee after serving as an intern for Congressman Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania’s 16th District. She has worked on her family’s commercial fishing boat, based out of Homer, Alaska, for the past nine years. Edens studied at the Christ for the Nations Institute and graduated from Homer Senior High School in 2011. 

Fleurant graduated from Colby College in May with a bachelor’s degree in government and sociology. She has interned with RESULTS, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, and the Trinity Health National System. Fleurant graduated from Chugiak High School in Chugiak, Alaska in 2012.