Potomac Flacks: Levine Leaves ABC News, Townsend Returns as New VP of Communications

April 04, 2011

Levine Leaves ABC News, Townsend Returns as New VP of Communications

First reported on PR Newser, Cathie Levine Isay has stepped down as VP of Communications for ABC News. Levine first joined the network in 2001 as a Publicist for World News Tonight and has since worked with anchors Peter Jennings and Diane Sawyer and promoted the network’s coverage of the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections.

Julie Townsend has been named the new VP of Communications. Townsend comes from Emanate Public Relations, where she served as VP, Client Service and worked with clients including Bank of America and Embassy Suites. For Townsend this is a return to a former employer. She previously worked at ABC News from 2003-2005, rising to the level of Director of Media Relations where she launched ABC News Now. At that time she left ABC News for NBC Universal where she served as Director of Corporate Communications. She was also a Legislative Assistant at UPS. Townsend is a graduate of Davidson College. (PR Newser)

Posted by Matt Mackowiak on April 4, 2011 in Media , People , Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Matt Mackowiak is a Washington, D.C. and Austin,TX-based Republican strategist and communications consultant and President of Potomac Strategy Group, LLC. In his career he has managed a winning Congressional campaign and worked in the U.S. Senate, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at a leading international PR firm, on a presidential campaign in Iowa and in White House presidential advance. Follow him on Twitter - @MattMackowiak

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Laura Gross is currently president of Scott Circle Communications. She has served as deputy director of communications at the DNC, was Gov. Howard Dean's Communications Director and she worked in the press office at USAID during the Clinton administration. Her experience also includes time in the PR department of National Public Radio and she was part of Vice President Gore's advance team when he was in The White House.
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Blain K. Rethmeier is currently the Senior Vice President for Public Affairs for the American Insurance Association (AIA). Rethmeier joined AIA from the White House where he served as Special Assistant to the President for Communications and directed communications for the National Economic Council and Homeland Security Council. Prior to joining the White House, Rethmeier served as Press Secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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