Horsford announces top staff selections

Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Newly elected congressman Steven Horsford gives his acceptance speech during the Nevada State Democrats’ election night party early Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 at Mandalay Bay.

By Karoun Demirjian (contact)

Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 | 4:53 p.m.

Rep.-elect Steven Horsford has hired a Nevadan and a non-Nevadan to head up his future congressional office, his team announced Monday.

Horsford hired Rodney Emery, a former congressional liaison for the Commerce Department’s International Trade division and, more recently, the General Service Administration, to serve as his chief of staff. Emery, a native of Los Angeles, was previously chief of staff to Rep. Diane Watson of California, who left Washington at the end of the 111th Congress.

In a statement, Horsford said he was “thrilled” to have Emery heading up his office.

Horsford has also hired Edith Fernandez, senior adviser to the president at Nevada State College and director of its student academic center, as his district director. Fernandez was born and raised in Las Vegas, went to UNLV and UNR and has held various positions in Nevada’s higher education system.

Horsford said he was confident that Fernandez “shares my vision to build a responsive district office that meets the needs of my constituents” and commented that the district staff “is reflective of Nevada’s geographic and demographic diversity.”