At this point finish your CFI certificates and ratings. Stay the course. Yes there are other methods but they're more risky and none will get you to a regional quicker. You'll learn a ton completing the CFI, especially in FSDO 15 (assuming you are at DCA's Orlando campus). It's a very large leap from Comm/ME/Inst to CFI/CFII/MEI. The knowledge and experience you'll gain are invaluable...and you are truly employable, admittedly not at a great salary, but at least the money flow reverses somewhat. Regional airlines have a general profile of a pilot that they understand. And being a CFI is part of it. You'll get hired at lower time if you are a CFI than if you are not. Hiring times are getting very low out here now with Express Jet and others getting down to the 500 hour TT mark. You won't be a CFI for long.

However, for your other options, take a look at the list of flight activities in 14 CFR part 119.1(e). That list is pretty much it. Anything else is going to require FAA paperwork and probably more flight time than you need for a right seat job at a regional.