Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the incoming chairwoman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, named a new staff director.

Mary Pavel is a member of the Skokomish Tribe of Washington. She is the founding president of the Native American Bar Association in Washington, D.C., and is a partner at Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry.

“Mary is well-known as one of the best and sharpest policy experts in Native American and Alaska Native policy and law,” Cantwell said in a press release. “Mary grew up in Washington state and understands the diverse issues facing Tribes in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. I look forward to working with Mary to improve economic opportunity, strengthen education and increase access to health care for all of Indian Country. With Mary on board, I am confident that the Senate Indian Affairs Committee is ready to tackle tough issues and make significant progress for Tribes.”

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