WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mark Pryor today announced his chief of staff Bob Russell will leave the Senate effective February 1st to pursue interests in the private sector. Russell will be succeeded by Andy York, currently Pryor’s legislative director.
Russell has served as Pryor’s Chief of Staff for the past 7 years. During this time, he co-founded the bipartisan Senate chiefs of Staff group, which meets regularly and facilitates working relationships across the aisle. Prior to joining Pryor, Russell was a partner in the Little Rock law firm of Roberts, Roberts, & Russell PA. From January 1999 to September 2000, Russell served as Arkansas Chief Deputy Attorney General for Attorney General Pryor. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law in 1990 and from Southern Arkansas University in 1987. He said more details of his private plans will be released later.
“Bob has provided me with invaluable counsel, friendship and humor for nearly 20 years. He has also built an exceptional team of talented aides who are all committed to putting Arkansas first,” Pryor said. “One of these individuals is Andy York. He understands the ins and the outs of the Senate, and the importance of using that knowledge for Arkansas’s benefit,” Pryor said.
Andy York has spent 7 years working in the Senate, managing Pryor’s legislative initiatives and policy staff for the past three years. He also served as professional staff on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee specializing in consumer affairs. In addition to his Senate experience, York worked in Arkansas’s Attorney General Office under General Pryor. York, a native of Conway, Arkansas, graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
