Press Releases

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) today announced Nick Christensen as the Committee’s new Republican Staff Director.

Christensen has nearly a decade of experience working for Chairman Graves, either as T&I Committee staff or in the Graves congressional office.  Most recently, he served since 2023 as Washington, DC Chief of Staff in the Graves office.  Prior to that, from 2019 to 2023, Christensen was the T&I Committee’s Republican Director of Member Services.  During his time working with Graves, Christensen has played a key role in developing and building consensus in support of the Committee’s major legislative initiatives.

“For the last six and a half years, since I was first selected as the lead Republican of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Nick has been an integral part of my leadership team,” Graves said.  “His hard work, dedication, and grasp of the many issues before the Committee make him especially well-suited to lead the Republican T&I staff as we look ahead this Congress to a critical surface transportation reauthorization bill to improve our nation’s roads and bridges.  Nick will also lead our staff as we develop bills to strengthen pipeline safety programs, water resources infrastructure, and additional programs in the Committee’s jurisdiction, and as we work with the Trump Administration to modernize our air traffic control system and provide historic investments for the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Today’s announcement precedes the upcoming departure of Jack Ruddy, who first joined the T&I staff when Graves became the Committee’s top Republican in 2019.  From 2019 to 2022, Ruddy served as the T&I Committee Republican Deputy Staff Director, and after becoming Staff Director in June 2022, he successfully oversaw the majority staff during the development and enactment of the Chairman’s legislative priorities during that time, including the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.  Ruddy first joined the Graves congressional office in 2011, and from 2013 until 2019 he served in that office as Legislative Director.

Graves said, “From starting out as a five-time intern in my office, to leading the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republican staff through multiple successful legislative efforts, including the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, I want to thank Jack for his years of expertise and dedicated service to my constituents, the T&I Committee, and the American people.  I wish him and his family the very best as he moves forward into the next stage of his career.”

The rest of the T&I Committee’s Republican senior staff will continue in their current positions:

Deputy Staff Director Abigail Camp Wenk  

General Counsel Meghan Holland

Policy Director T. Hunter Presti

Director of Budget and Appropriations and Policy Advisor Chris Devine

Director of Member Services Leslie Parker

Director of Coalitions Jimmy Ballard

Director of Operations and Administration Tyler Micheletti

Communications Director Justin Harclerode