U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe today announced several major additions to the campaign staff for her 2006 re-election effort, as well as the opening of a second campaign office in Bangor.

“I am extremely pleased to have such a strong and dynamic team of people in helping me take my re-election campaign to the people of Maine,” said Snowe. “Each person brings tremendous energy and talent to the 2006 campaign.”

New members of the campaign staff, which is led by Campaign Manager Lucas Caron, include:

Holly Dana joins the campaign as Director of Communications. Most recently, Dana was a Policy Coordinator at Libra Foundation, Maine’s largest philanthropic organization. Prior to her tenure at Libra, she was Deputy Director of Correspondence for First Lady Laura Bush. She has also worked as a television producer at ABC News’ Washington bureau.

Alison Bell, a recent Cum Laude graduate of Boston University will serve as Operations Director for the Snowe for Senate campaign. Bell recently returned from China where she helped organize world conferences for The Economist Group. In 2005, she spent a summer interning for Senators Saxby Chambliss and Richard Lugar.

Also joining the team is Allison Geagan. In 2005, Geagan served as Treasurer and Northern Regional Chair for the Maine State College Republican Committee. Subsequently, she joined Senator Snowe’s Bangor office as an intern. In her new role, Geagan will serve as Field Coordinator for the campaign.

Alex Caron, a junior at Cape Elizabeth High School, will be the campaign’s Web/Technical Coordinator, having served as a volunteer in this capacity since January. Caron has also worked as a computer technician for the Cape Elizabeth Technology Department.

Three interns, Grace Thompson, Colin Haley and Jill Greenstein will aide the campaign through the summer. All three are college students who have interned in Senator Snowe’s Portland office in the past. Thompson, Haley and Greenstein attend the University of Maryland, Hamilton College, and Colby College respectively.

The new Bangor campaign office, located at 175 Exchange Street, will be headed by Fundraising Director Cheryl Russell, who joined the Snowe for Senate team in January.

Long-time political activist and consultant Ted O’Meara is the Chair of Snowe’s re-election effort. “This expansion of our campaign staff and offices reflects the great momentum of the Snowe for Senate campaign,” he said. “We have been steadily building a grassroots network of campaign leaders throughout the state, and we are looking forward to a busy summer and fall with an energetic network of staff and volunteers.”