Anne Buresh, 26, who has spent the last five years in various Republican offices, is leaving Capitol Hill to take over as director of public affairs for Dittus Communications, a Washington, D.C.-based public relations, marketing communications and advertising agency.

For the past two years, Buresh has served as deputy communications director for the House Republican Conference and from February 2003 to August of that year, she served as the Conference’s deputy press secretary.

Before joining the Conference, Buresh worked in the office of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) from 2001 to 2003 as a press secretary, and started off on the Hill as a press assistant over at the Ways and Means Committee. The Milwaukee native graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2000 with a bachelor’s in communication arts.

Pitts Loses Adviser. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) is sad to see the departure of Julie Hershey Carr, who has worked for him for almost a decade.

Carr has worked for Pitts since 1996, when he first campaigned for Congress.

She has worked her way up the ranks in the Congressman’s office; her jobs have included stints as legislative assistant, legislative director and senior policy adviser, the role she has held since 2003. Carr has been the lead staffer on health care and telecommunications work for the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Pitts had nothing but kind words for his veteran aide. “I have greatly valued Julie’s insight and tenacity since she joined my staff nine years ago,” Pitts said in a statement, adding that he has “enjoyed working with her and watching her grow.”

Carr hails from the Congressman’s district; she grew up in Cochranville, Pa. She received her bachelor’s in communications from Messiah College in 1992.

Kennedy Picks Policy Director.[IMGCAP(1)] Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has chosen a new policy director. In addition to her new role, Holly Fechner will continue in her position as chief counsel for issues related to labor and pensions.

As policy director, Fechner will assist the Senator and his staff in developing a long-range agenda related to all of his domestic and international policy issues. Kennedy praised his staffer, stating that “she is the ideal person to ensure that we will bring the strongest ideas into the policy process.”

Fechner received her bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and holds a law degree from the University of Michigan.