SIERRA VISTA - Continuing her reaching out beyond the Democratic party, Congresswoman-elect Gabrielle Giffords named Republican Judy Gignac to her transition team.

Terry Babcock-Lumish, a Sierra Vista area resident who is president of Islay Consulting, also was named to the 11-member team, which had its first meeting on Friday.

Gignac, who said she is a lifelong Republican who first voted for Richard Nixon, said Giffords wants to be looking at how she works with Congressional District 8's constituents. The congressional district includes Cochise County.

"She's looking beyond partisan politics," said Gignac, general manager of Bella Vista Ranches in Sierra Vista.

Gignac is a former member of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, where she served as the elected body's chair, and is a former member of the Arizona Board of Regents, where she served a stint as the panel's president.

In a Tuesday press release, Giffords said Southern Arizonans want leadership that rises above party lines and works with all people.

Babcock-Lumish, a Democrat, said she served on Gifford's campaign steering committee. She said being named to the transition team is both an honor and exciting.

The congresswoman-elect promised a bipartisan approach if she were elected. Babcock-Lumish said that can be seen with the appointment of Gignac to the team.

Babcock-Lumish is no newcomer to political support efforts. She worked with the administration of President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, and she was a researcher during Gore's presidential run.

Giffords is seeking advice on how to be an effective congresswoman, and the team's makeup will help her reach that goal, Babcock-Lumish said.

Repeating one of Giffords favorite expressions during the campaign, Babcock-Lumish said the congresswoman is right that being a U.S. representative is more than a job title and encompasses a job description.

Gignac said Giffords will have an office in Sierra Vista, continuing with constituent work and outreach to the community that retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe has done during his 11 terms in Congress.

Much of the work done through district offices centers around finding federal help for residents regardless of a person's party affiliation, she said.

Giffords has an ambitious schedule the first week in January, which includes opening a number of district offices, Gignac said.

The offices acts as "the eyes and ears for the congressperson," she said.

Another critical part of the district offices is an outreach program where staff members attend meetings to gauge what is happening in an area and report those findings back to the representative, Gignac said.

Of critical importance in Cochise County is keeping Giffords informed about the Upper San Pedro Partnership and how the federal government can assist in saving the San Pedro River and Fort Huachuca, said Gignac, a member of the partnership.

Giffords knows the importance of the partnership and the fort, Gignac said. Gignac provided information on the partnership's efforts to Giffords and Randy Graf, her Republican challenger.

When it comes to the economic implication of keeping the post safe, Giffords and Graf had a deep understanding of the issue, Gignac said.

The transition team will be chaired by Ron Barber, former district program administrator of the Arizona Department of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities. He also served as Giffords community outreach director during the campaign.

Of her team, Giffords said, "This team will enable my congressional office to transition seamlessly into performing the same high quality constituency services for the Eighth Congressional District for which Congressman Kolbe was respected."

Gignac said Giffords will continue with the town hall process that Kolbe used as a way to listen firsthand to what is on the minds of district residents.

Another issue the congresswoman-elect will be working on concerns immigration, which is important for residents who live along the border.

Congress is facing how to handle the problem nationally, Gignac said, adding it will be interesting to see how the party leaders in Washington, D.C., address border issues.

"As far as Gabby's district, we are well aware of this issue," Gignac said.