Rep. Gabe Vasquez Announces New Slate of Congressional Staff Hires

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) announced key staff hires for his Washington and New Mexico offices. Vasquez previously announced Adela Amador as Chief of Staff and Cynthia Hull as District Director.

“I am so proud of the talented, diverse team that we’re building,”said Rep. Vasquez. “My priority has been to hire a team committed to working hard for New Mexico’s second district and a team that is representative of our state. That’s why I’m proud to announce our new staff hires – New Mexicans, women of color, Native Americans, veterans, and seasoned legislative staffers.  Our constituents will be served by a team who will make sure they have a voice in Washington.”

Austin Yager, Legislative Director. Yager has served in Congress since 2013, working much of his career on issues important to New Mexico, including energy and environment, public lands, and Tribal issues. Most recently he served as Legislative Director to U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY). Previously, he worked for Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA) as his Senior Legislative Assistant, and he began his career with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). During the 2020 cycle, Austin served as a member of the Campaign Policy Committee focused on advancing the future administration’s Tribal policy agenda. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary.

Valeria Ojeda-Avitia, Communications Director. Ojeda-Avitia is a first-generation Mexican American who was proudly born and raised in New Mexico. Her career has been focused on improving tactics for communicating to underrepresented communities across the United States. Most recently, she worked at Precision Strategies where she provided Spanish-first communication strategies for clients across multiple sectors. Ojeda-Avitia also served as the Project Lead for the 2020 Census Communications Campaign managing over 140 qualitative sessions to inform the advertising campaign to ensure every person was counted in the Census. She obtained a Master’s of Public Policy from American University. 

Audrey Jimenez, Scheduler. Originally from Texas, Jimenez joins the Vasquez team from U.S. Rep. Elaine Laurie and Rep. Filemon Vela’s offices. Jimenez obtained a degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Rebecca “Beck” Touchin, Tribal Liaison and Constituent Services Representative. Touchin is mother, grandmother, and a tribal member of the Pueblo of Laguna. Touchin is the Former Cibola County Democratic Secretary and former Native American Democratic Caucus of NM’s Secretary, bringing 15 years of experience as a grassroots organizer in New Mexico’s second district. She is currently the Vice President of the Laguna Federation of Democratic Women, the first tribal federation in New Mexico and in the nation.

Rene Camacho, Constituent Services Representative. Camacho is a Navy veteran from Las Cruces and has over 12 years of experience working as a Constituent Services Representative. He previously worked as a caseworker for Sen. Martin Heinrich and former Sen. Tom Udall. Camacho earned his B.S.W. from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Cody McCarty, Field Representative. McCarty is a 5th generation New Mexican raised in Catron County. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 2011-2015 as a Field Radio Operator at 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. McCarty has previously served as a Field and Constituent Services Representative for former U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres-Small. He is studying to obtain his  Master’s in Public Administration from New Mexico State University.

Matt Capodanno, Legislative Aide. Capodanno most recently worked on the legislative team for former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, and previously worked as a field organizer for former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Connecticut.

Cecilia Belzer, Press/Digital Assistant. Belzer joins Rep. Vasquez’s office following two cycles on Sen. Warnock’s campaign. Working on the research team and then as a Press Advance Assistant during the 2022 runoff election, Belzer’s experience on a frontline campaign is a welcome addition to the office. Belzer earned her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Colgate University. 

Lara Teich, Staff Assistant. Born and raised in Las Cruces, Teich joins the Vasquez team after working as a Finance Assistant on his campaign. Teich obtained a degree in Government from Harvard College.

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