Senate Homeland Staff Changes. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the new chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has named Richard Kessler as the committee’s new staff director. Kessler previously served as the as Democratic staff director on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Mike Alexander was the previous staff director under former chairman Joe Lieberman (I/D-Conn.). Carper also named John Kilvington as deputy staff director. Kilvington was previously staff director for the committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security. He has also been Carper’s lead staffer on committee issues since 2001. Beth Grossman, who previously was the committee’s deputy staff director and chief counsel, retains her counsel role. Emily Spain, Carper’s communications director, is also now the communications director for the committee, succeeding Leslie Phillips.