U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has announced that John Keast, his long-time staff director, will retire from the Senate and return to the private sector.
Keast began working with Wicker during his 1994 campaign in Mississippi. He served as Wicker’s chief of staff in the House for eleven years before joining Cornerstone Government Affairs in Washington, D.C. In 2018, Keast left Cornerstone to lead Wicker’s Commerce Committee staff and later became staff director at the Armed Services Committee.
“Properly describing John Keast’s contribution to American security and prosperity would require reams of paper. His depth of knowledge and experience in national security and government affairs is unmatched. Suffice it to say that John has been my closest advisor and a key leader of my team for three decades now,” said Senator Wicker. “I cannot thank John enough for leaving the private sector in 2018 to lead my committee staff at the Commerce Committee for four years and three more here at the Armed Services Committee. I look forward to seeing him in Mississippi more often.”
Senator Wicker also announced that Rick Berger will become the new Staff Director for the committee, effective immediately. Berger previously served as Policy and Budget Director and joined the committee as Budget Director in 2019 under then-Chairman Jim Inhofe. He is originally from New Jersey and graduated from Boston University and George Washington University.
“Rick Berger has been a part of my leadership team for three years and worked closely with me to effectuate my strategic priorities, starting with my successful work to build a larger defense budget that is laser focused on giving our troops what they need,” said Senator Wicker. “Rick is widely considered one of America’s most talented defense policy experts. He is especially skilled in shepherding complex initiatives and building coalitions. I am fully confident he will lead the impressive staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee to further success as we continue advancing a ‘peace through strength’ agenda.”