Marco Rubio Announces Key Staff Positions, 5 Regional Offices

Marco Rubio says he wants to hit the ground running from day one of his U.S. Senate term. Roughly 24 hours before being sworn in as Florida's newest senator, Rubio announced the names of those he has hired as key staff members. He also said he will open five regional offices around the state to serve as centers for constituent casework. Those offices will be located in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami. Rubio expects about 5,000 cases to come through those offices this year.

Florida will be well-served by the team we are putting together. Together, they will assist me in the U.S. Senate as we work to jump-start the economy, tackle the debt, repeal and replace Obamacare, and defend America at home and abroad, said Rubio. Each of these individuals brings a wealth of talents and experience to our organization, and I am confident that their collective abilities will be of great service to me and all Floridians.

Names and backgrounds of today's staff hires from the release:

Sally Canfield chief policy adviser and legislative director: Canfield previously served as senior director for policy at Sanofi-Aventis US. Prior to that, she served as a senior program officer in the Global Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, providing strategic policy, advocacy, and communications counsel, and managing a multimillion-dollar grants portfolio. She has also held various senior positions in the federal government, including deputy chief of staff for policy at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, counselor to the secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and senior policy adviser to the speaker of the House, in addition to working for Congressman Jim McCrery and Congressman Mac Thornberry. In the 2000 campaign, she served as domestic policy adviser to then-Gov. George W. Bush and in the 2008 campaign cycle, she served as policy director to Gov. Mitt Romney. She has a bachelors degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Leonard Collins general counsel: Collins previously served as a senior attorney in the Florida Department of Transportations Office of the General Counsel. From 2006 to 2008, he served as parliamentarian of the Florida House of Representatives. In this position, he assisted the presiding officer and members of the House with the application of the state Constitution, the rules of the House, and parliamentary authority to legislative proceedings. Prior to his House service, he worked as an attorney in private practice, and as an assistant state attorney in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami. Raised in Miami, Collins earned his Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern Universitys Shepard Broad Law Center, as well as his Bachelor of Arts in political science and international relations from Florida International University.

Todd Reid state director: Reid previously served as deputy chief of staff to Florida House of Representatives' Speaker Dean Cannon. Prior to that, for four years, he was director of the Florida House Majority Office where he managed floor activities and coordinated communications on behalf of the Florida House's Republican majority. He has also served as communications director for the Florida House and with the Florida Department of Financial Services. Reid has also worked for the office of the governor of Virginia, the Republican Party of Virginia and as a regional director for the Republican National Committee. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College.

Joe Pounder communications director: Pounder previously worked on the Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate campaign, where he served as deputy campaign manager for communications. Prior to that, in 2009, he worked on Capitol Hill as strategic communications director for U.S. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and as deputy communications director for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinsons (R-Texas) gubernatorial campaign. He also served as director of rapid response for John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, director of rapid response for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romneys 2008 presidential campaign and deputy director of research for the California Republican Party in 2006. He began his career on the White House staff of President George W. Bush where he worked in both Communications and Presidential Personnel.

Alex Burgos director of media affairs: Burgos previously served as communications director on the Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate campaign. Prior to that, he was the senior communications manager at the U.S. Chamber of Commerces Global Intellectual Property Center, director of specialty media on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romneys 2008 presidential campaign, and deputy press secretary at the National Republican Congressional Committee. A Miami native, Burgos is a graduate of the University of Florida, where he earned a Master of Arts in international business and a Bachelor of Science in business administration.

Bexie Nobles director of scheduling and executive assistant: Nobles previously served in the Washington office of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas), as well as beingdirector of operations for her 2010 primary campaign for governor. Prior to these roles, Nobles worked on Sen. John McCains 2008 presidential campaign and Rudy Giulianis presidential campaign.

Theresa Young administrative director: Ms. Young will continue in this role, which she served in under former U.S. Sens. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) and George LeMieux (R-Fla.). Prior to this, she served in the office of the U.S. Senate sergeant at arms.

Luke Marchant special assistant: Marchant served as political director on the Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate campaign. Prior to that, he served as communications director for Congressman Pete Olson (R-Texas) and campaign manager for Olsons congressional campaign. Marchant has served on the staffs of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Attorney General Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples (R-Texas).