Washington, DC— Today, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, announced several permanent staff positions for the committee.

“I am pleased to welcome this experienced and talented staff to the committee,” said Chairman Himes. “The task before us is substantial, but we are committed to holding hearings and truly listening to the American people, both in Washington and across the country, about how we can grow our future fairly and together.”

Mark Henson, Staff Director

Mark Henson is the Chief of Staff to Congressman Jim Himes and has led all Congressional operations for the past eight years, including during Himes’ chairmanship of the New Democrat Coalition. Previously, Mark served as the Congressman’s district director, where he oversaw economic development efforts for the district.  Prior to working for Congressman Himes, Mark worked in a variety of legislative and political roles in Washington, DC and throughout the country. As Staff Director, Mark will oversee all committee operations and focus on assembling actionable recommendations to combat economic disparity and creating an impactful report. He holds a BA in Government from Claremont McKenna College.

Diane Lim, Policy Director

Diane Lim is perhaps best known as the author of the EconomistMom blog, and has written, contributed to, and been quoted in numerous articles regarding economics, specializing in bringing data-driven research to real-world policymaking and communicating to broad audiences in an engaging manner. Over the course of her career, Diane has held senior-level economist positions at prestigious think tanks and private sector organizations. She previously served as chief economist for the House Budget Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, principal economist for the Joint Economic Committee, and senior economist on the staff of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. She has worked in the DC policy community continuously since she joined the Congressional Budget Office in the 1990s, coming from a full-time faculty position at Pennsylvania State University, and she holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia. As Policy Director, Diane will delve deeply into the policy causes and ramifications of today’s historic levels of economic disparity and evaluate policy recommendations.

Mauricio Armaza, Committee Clerk

Mauricio Armaza is the Director of Operations for Congressman Himes’ personal office. In his position as clerk, Mauricio will handle the day-to-day operations of the committee and facilitate numerous hearings in both Washington, DC, and around the country. He holds a BA in Government and Chinese Language and Culture from the College of William and Mary.

The Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth will develop solutions to the key economic issue of our time: the yawning prosperity gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else. America is more unequal today than it has ever been, and far more unequal than other developed nations. Great wealth disparities slow our economy, poison our politics and offend our moral sensibilities.

The Committee also intends to Show America to Itself. Our divisions and parochialism erode our belief and confidence in each other. We will document the hopes, concerns and aspirations of Americans throughout our land in the belief that just behind our differences lie unity and a commitment to each other.

For more information, contact Patrick Malone at Patrick.malone@mail.house.gov.