Herrera Beutler sworn in this week

A longtime Washougal resident has been tapped to help lead the district office of Third District Rep.-Elect Jaime Herrera Beutler.

Herrera Beutler (R-Camas) announced yesterday that Shari Hildreth will be the deputy district director. The district office will open Thursday, the day after Herrera Beutler is officially sworn into office in anticipation of the beginning of the second session of the 111th Congress. Joining Hildreth in Vancouver will be District Director Ryan Hart, former Clark County Republican Party chairman.

“I’m extremely fortunate to have two Southwest Washington residents like Ryan and Shari on my district staff,” Herrera Beutler said in a statement. “Both have the knowledge of and passion for our region that will allow them to hit the ground running and help me serve the people of this region on day one.”

Hildreth previously served for a dozen years as the Southwest Washington deputy director to former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton. In addition to her time as a senate aide, Hildreth was also an office manager for Green Construction, Inc. Her community volunteer work has been in the areas of personal finance, through her church and as a precinct committee officer for the Clark County Republican Party.

“Shari is a seasoned professional who knows the hard work and dedication it will take to successfully serve this region,” Herrera Beutler said.

Hart, a Vancouver resident, has spent 15 years in the organizational development and training field working as an instructional designer and training manager serving a wide range of industries. An active member of the Vancouver Metro Sunset Rotary Club, he served as chairman of the Clark County Republican Party from 2008 to 2010.

Third District’s newest U.S. Representative recently adopted a new name.

Herrera Beutler (pronounced “Butler”) announced in December that she chose to adopt her husband Daniel Beutler’s last name while keeping Herrera as her middle name.

“When I was appointed to the Washington State Legislature and during my 2008 campaign to keep that seat, I wasn’t married,” she said in a statement. “As a result my name was printed countless times in news articles, on public documents and in advertising as ‘Jaime Herrera.'”

“Within a few short months, I was married, became a candidate for Congress and hit the campaign trail,” she continued. “Now that the dust from the campaign has settled, I’ve had the chance to thoughtfully consider and make a permanent choice regarding this personal decision about my family.”

Herrera Beutler was elected to the Third District seat in November’s General Election, when she ran against Democrat Denny Heck. She replaces former longtime Congressman Brian Baird, who retired from the position after six terms and 14 years in office.

Herrera Beutler is keeping the same district office as Baird. Located at the O.O. Howard House, 750 Anderson St., Ste. B, in Vancouver. It will be open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Herrera Beutler Spokesman Casey Bowman said Monday that the congresswoman’s website is currently under construction, but should be up and running within the next few days. The address will be www.herrerabeutler.house.gov.

For more information, contact Herrera Beutler’s district office at 695-6292.