WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. House Education and Labor Committee Senior Republican Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) today announced the departure of Vic Klatt, the panel's top Republican staffer, and named Sally Stroup as Klatt's successor.

"Vic has been a skilled, effective leader in his time since returning to the Committee, and I'm grateful for his years of service," said McKeon. "When I was elected Chairman in 2006, Vic was a natural choice to step into a leadership role and help steer the panel's wide-ranging agenda that impacts Americans at every stage of life. I appreciate the contribution Vic has made on behalf of Committee Republicans, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Prior to joining the Committee as Staff Director in 2006, Klatt served as Vice President of Van Scoyoc Associates (VSA) in Washington. A former policy coordinator for the Education and the Workforce Committee, Klatt was a senior staffer at the panel for seven years in the 1990s. Prior to his tenure at the Committee, Klatt served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education under President George H.W. Bush and also spent time as a senior staff member for U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI). Klatt announced plans to rejoin Van Scoyoc Associates, where he will be working as a Founding Partner in a new bipartisan venture within the VSA family of companies that will focus on government relations, consulting, and strategic research and advice on education and related domestic policy issues.

In conjunction with news of Klatt's departure, McKeon announced that current Deputy Staff Director Sally Stroup has been named Staff Director, effective immediately.

"There is no better candidate to take the reins of the Education and Labor Committee Republican staff than Sally, and I appreciate her willingness to accept this new appointment," said McKeon. "Sally has played a pivotal leadership role in the past two years, and I'm confident that her transition to Staff Director will ensure a seamless continuation of our policy vision that centers on competitiveness for our nation's students, schools, and workers."

Before being tapped as Deputy Staff Director in 2006, Stroup served as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education since March 2002. From 1993 to 2001, she served as a professional staff member for the Education & the Workforce Committee. During that time, she played a key legislative role on higher education issues, including the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Posted 02/06/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.