{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://owens.house.gov/posts/owens-announces-changes-to-senior-staff", "Owens Announces Changes to Senior Staff", "2026-07-24", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "UT", "Burgess Owens", "O000086", "owens.house.gov", "owens", "https://owens.house.gov/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) announced key changes to his senior leadership team.\n\nDevon Murphy to Succeed Lee Lonsberry as Chief of Staff\n\nAfter three years as Chief of Staff to Congressman Owens, Lee Lonsberry concluded his time on Capitol Hill, rounding out an incredibly successful and meaningful decade of service to Utah across three members of Congress in the House and Senate.\n\nSucceeding him as Chief of Staff is Devon Murphy.\n\nMurphy is a veteran of the Utah Army National Guard and a seasoned staffer with just under a decade of congressional experience, in both the state and Washington D.C . He began his service to Utah\u2019s congressional delegation as Military Legislative Assistant to Rep. Rob Bishop and later served as Senior Policy Advisor to Rep. Blake Moore. He has since played a central role in advancing Congressman Owens\u2019 legislative agenda, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for the last three years.\n\n\u201cI am saddened to see my friend Lee Lonsberry leave, but I am excited for the bright future that he has ahead of him in his next chapter,\u201d Rep. Owens said. \u201cLee has become one of Utah\u2019s most trusted voices, from his time at KSL to his decade of dedicated and capable service to Utah and our nation in the Halls of Congress. His larger-than-life charisma and boundless energy all but ensured everyone who met him quickly became his friend. I\u2019ve been incredibly grateful for the team we assembled, which has become an invaluable asset to the people of Utah\u2019s Fourth District, and we\u2019re excited to see him take those skills of service, patience, encouragement and that as a strategist into his next chapter. We know, as has been his last chapter, it will be a successful one.\n\n\u201cI am pleased to announce Devon Murphy as my new Chief of Staff,\u201d Owens continued. \u201cDevon is an exceptional staffer with deep knowledge of the House of Representatives and a genuine love for Utah and our nation. As my Legislative Director, he helped secure the most significant legislative wins of my career in Congress. He understands how to build a culture rooted in hard work, attention to detail, and hustle. Utah\u2019s Fourth District is fortunate to have a public servant of his character and caliber. Devon has my full trust and confidence, and I know he will serve this office and this district well.\u201d\n\n\u201cMr. Owen\u2019s story and his genuine love of people inspires everyone he meets,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cHe is one of Congress\u2019s most powerful communicators and, quite simply, one of its kindest people. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve him and Utah\u2019s Fourth District during this final chapter in Washington and help secure an earned legacy of both kindness and as a serious legislator who made a meaningful difference in education, workforce development, and transportation.\u201d\n\nAs Chief of Staff, Murphy will oversee office operations, lead the staff, and direct the strategy and execution of Congressman Owens\u2019 priorities for his remaining time in Congress.\n\nCody Rowe Named Legislative Director\n\nRep. Owens has also announced that Cody Rowe has been promoted as his new Legislative Director. Rowe has been with the Owens\u2019 office for the last four years where he has served as the Congressman\u2019s Education & Workforce Legislative Assistant and Senior Legislative Advisor.\n\n\u201cI came to Congress to make a difference for our kids and work in education,\u201d Rep. Owens said. \u201cCody has been an incredible asset as my Senior Legislative Assistant, where we have secured incredible wins for our youth and educational choice and freedom. Cody has put in the effort to command the respect of those inside and outside my office. I am proud of his hustle and work ethic, which has brought him this far. He was the only choice to fill the position as my new Legislative Director, as we continue to work towards securing a new golden age for our children.\u201d\n\n\u201cI cannot express how grateful I am for the chance to serve the people of Utah in a greater capacity,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cI will strive to achieve wins for Utah\u2019s Fourth District and support Congressman Owens in his duties as an elected official of the people.\u201d\n\nIn his expanded role as Legislative Director, Rowe will continue to oversee Congressman Owens\u2019 work on the Education & Workforce Committee while serving as the Congressman\u2019s principal advisor on legislative matters. He will coordinate policy strategy and ensure that Rep. Owens\u2019 vision and priorities are carried out.\n\nColby Walker Remains Communications Director\n\nColby Walker will remain in his role serving as Congressman Owens\u2019 Communications Director. He started in the role in January after serving as Sen. Mike Lee\u2019s State Communications Specialist since 2021. Before his time in Congress, Walker worked as a digital content producer for KSL News in Salt Lake City.\n\n\u201cColby has been an incredible addition to our team, and I have been pleased with his efforts in amplifying and communicating the important work for Utah and our nation that we are doing,\u201d Rep. Owens said. \u201cHe has quickly grown into this role and become an invaluable and trusted asset to my team.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery day, I continue to be humbled by the trust that Congressman Owens has placed in me to help tell his story and communicate the incredible work he is doing,\u201d Walker said. \u201cAs our nation continues to celebrate our 250th anniversary of independence, I\u2019m grateful to be in our nation\u2019s capital, working for an incredible boss, helping ensure that we continue to fight for our Republic and the ideals and principles that have created the greatest nation in the history of mankind.\u201d\n\nAs Communications Director, Walker will continue to oversee all communications strategy, media relations, and messaging for the Owens office.\n\nMembers of the press should continue to direct all media inquiries and interview requests to him at colby.walker@mail.house.gov.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://owens.house.gov/posts/owens-announces-changes-to-senior-staff"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.9911131132394075, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}