Rep. Costa Announces Two New Staff Members

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced that two new employees have joined his staff. Bob Farmer, a legislative fellow, will serve as Costa's foreign affairs, defense, and intelligence staffer, while Kristin Brainerd will take on Costa's resources, water, energy, and environment portfolio. Costa serves on the House Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources, and Agriculture committees.

"Both Bob and Kristin have unique backgrounds, and I am excited to have them on my staff," said Costa. "Their knowledge and expertise will be a great benefit to me and the 20th Congressional District."

Farmer is working as a Brookings Institute Congressional Legislative Fellow, and will be on Costa's staff until August 2008. Upon finishing the fellowship, Farmer will return to work for the Boeing Company. Most recently, Farmer served as a Director of Business Development working in the Integrated Defense Systems Company of Boeing. He graduated from the University of Missouri, Rolla with a degree in electrical engineering, and has a Master's degree in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He is married to Garalyn Jo Farmer, and they have three children: Molly Anne, Benjamin, and Brendan.

Brainerd is from Orange County, CA, and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While at UCLA, she wrote for the Daily Bruin, and headed to Washington, DC following graduation to write for CQ as a politics reporter. Brainerd attended Columbia Law School, and graduated in 2003. At Columbia, she worked for the Environmental Law Clinic and was an editor for the Environmental Law Journal. Since graduating, she has worked for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she was part of the Environment & Natural Resources practice group.