Potomac Flacks

Research Firm Gravity Strategic Communications Celebrates Two Years, Announces New Hires

Gravity Strategic Communications, which is run by Ted Newton and serves political and corporate clients with strategic communications needs, with a focus on opposition research, announced new staff and new office space just two years after its founding.  Gravity performed the vice presidential vetting for the Romney-Ryan campaign last year.

Christopher Oman has been promoted to Research Analyst.  An Iowa native, Oman first joined Gravity in 2011 and spent much of 2012 working with Gravity on Gov. Mitt Romney’s Presidential Campaign, including participating in the Vice-Presidential vetting process and working with the communications department on research and rapid response.  Oman has previously worked at Cornerstone Government Affairs, DCI Group, the Republican Governor’s Association’s political department, and in the office of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Oman is a graduate of The George Washington University.

Daniel Mintz joins the firm as Research Associate.  A New Jersey native, previously worked as a Research Analyst at Berkowitz Public Affairs.  He also served as Director of New Media on the Scott Sipprelle for Congress campaign, in New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Press and Communications office, and for Jamestown Associates, U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ.  Mintz is currently pursuing a degree at The George Washington University.

As part of its growth, Gravity also recently moved in to new office space at 1232 M Street NW.  (PF tipster)

Former NRSC Flack Walsh joins Singer Bonjean Strategies

First reported in Politico’s “Playbook,” Brian J. Walsh is joining the bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm Singer Bonjean Strategies as a partner.  The firm was founded in 2008 by Republican communicator Ron Bonjean and Democratic communicator Phil Singer.

Walsh joins the firm after more than 15 years on Capitol Hill and dozens of campaigns at the local, state and federal levels.

Walsh served as Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) Communications Director, first in his official Senate office and then at the National Republican Senatorial Committee for both the 2010 and 2012 election cycles.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)

REMAINDERS: McDowell joins Blue Engine; Beirne & Vargas To WH; Gor to Rand 2016

Occasionally, we miss some important flack-related items.  Here are a few:

• First reported in Politico’s “Playbook,” Amber McDowell has joined DC-based strategic communications firm Blue Engine Message & Media.  She was most recently Communications Director for U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).  She also was Speechwriter and Press Secretary for Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-TN) and Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM).  She worked on the Obama-Biden re-elect and at the 2012 DNC Convention in Charlotte.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)
• Katherine Vargas is the new Director of Hispanic Media at the White House.  She was previously Communications Director for the National Immigration Forum, and also worked at the National Immigration Law Center and the International Rescue Committee.  She is a native of Colombia who immigrated to the U.S. in 1997.
• Katie Beirne, the Staff Director for the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center has replaced Jennifer Palmieri as Deputy Communications Director at the White House.  According to Politico, she will be in charge of outreach to surrogates and message coordination with outside groups.  (Politico)
• Sergio Gor has been named Spokesman for RAND PAC, the political action committee, and presidential campaign in waiting, of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).  Gor was formerly spokesman for Rep. Michele Bachman (R-MN) and on the campaign of Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA. (Politico)

Vought Hangs a Shingle

On Friday Mary Vought announced that she was leaving Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) office, where she was Senior Communications Adviser, to launch her own communications consulting company, Vought Strategies.

Prior to working for Sen. Johnson Vought was Press Secretary for Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), when he was Chairman of the House Republican Conference.  (PF tipster)

Burgos joins OnMessage

First reported by Roll Call’s “Shop Talk,” Alexandria, VA-based Republican consulting firm has hired Joanna Burgos, a “top House Republican campaign operative.”

Last cycle Burgos managed the National Republican Campaign Committee’s (NRCC) independent expenditure.

She was previously Deputy Communications Director for the NRCC, Press Secretary for the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN, Communications Director for the Nevada Republican Party and senior account executive at Racepoint Group.  She also worked on the 2008 Mitt Romney presidential campaign and as Assistant Press Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

She’s a graduate of the University of Florida.  (Roll Call’s “Shop Talk”)

Rethmeier, Roy, Ades Launch Strategic Action Public Affairs

Three well-known operatives have launched an independent, bipartisan communications firm, Strategic Action Public Affairs, which will focus "exclusively on public affairs issues and crisis communications."

The three operatives are Stuart Roy, Blain Rethmeier and Richard Ades.

Roy, SA Public Affairs president, was most recently a partner at Prism Public Affairs, and previously served as head of communications for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and in the same role for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) when he chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Rethmeier is a former Bush White House and Capitol Hill communications expert who has spent several years as the head of communications and advocacy at high profile trade associations including most recently the U.S. Travel Association.  Rethmeier will be based in California giving the firm a bicoastal presence.

Ades, SA Public Affairs managing partner, is a former Prism partner who served in the Clinton Administration.

According to their announcement, the firm was “formed when three former partners at a DC-based public affairs firm recently joined ranks with a high profile trade association executive and a few other senior level professionals.”

They are joined by three other professionals: 

• Andy Miller, a message and writing specialist and former Prism partner, was a longtime Washington correspondent for The Kansas City Star before joining the public affairs firm Powell Tate.
• Bob Maistros, chief writer for Reagan-Bush who has written for luminaries as diverse as Steve Case, Ted Leonsis and Sen. Charles Grassley
• Louise Filkins, a media specialist and former TV news producer who worked communications for a variety of organizations including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Independent Women’s Forum, and Powell Tate | Weber Shandwick.  She is also a former deputy press secretary at the RNC and worked in the communications office at three Republican conventions, most recently in Tampa. (PF tipster)

NHTSA Flack Tran Joins 270 Strategies

First reported in Politico’s “Playbook,” Lynda Tran, communications director for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is leaving on Feb. 6 to become a partner at 270 Strategies, the new firm of Obama campaign veterans Mitch Stewart and Jeremy Bird.

Tran was national press secretary for Organizing for America, communications director for Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA), and worked at SEIU and in Ohio during the ’04 and ’08 cycles.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)

Toomey Hires E.R. Anderson, as Flacks Soloveichik & Neal Depart

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), the chairman of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, has named E.R. Anderson as his new Communications Director.

Anderson had previously served as Communications Director for the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee under Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME).

Anderson replaces Nachama Soloveichik, who, according to Roll Call’s “Shop Talk,” has joined Cold Spark Media as a vice president in their new Washington, DC, office.

Soloveichik worked on Toomey’s 2010 campaign and as the chief spokeswoman for the Club for Growth when Toomey ran the conservative group.

Toomey’s Press Secretary, Rebecca Neal, departed the office in December to become Communications Director for Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX).  (Roll Call’s “Shop Talk” & PF reporting)

Longtime Fox News Sunday Producer Finland to Lead CRAFT’s new booking service

Today longtime Fox Newser Alex Finland, most recently a senior producer for Fox News Sunday, announced he would join CRAFT | Media / Digital to launch their booking service for broadcast television, cable and radio network talent.

According to Finland, his new role will “allow me to lead the day-to-day management of CRAFT | Booking, working with CRAFT clients and strategic partners, to book them on news and talk programs that seek political experts and opinion leaders available for on-air network segments.”  He will also “manage the vetting and training of clients who seek to deliver valuable content for media networks and programs.”

Finland is a graduate of the University of Goergia and a native of Savannah, GA.  (PF tipster)

Pawlenty Campaign Communications Director Hauser Joins JDA Frontline

First reported in this morning’s Politico “Playbook,” Ann Marie Hauser has joined JDA Frontline as a Vice President of Public Affairs.  JDA Frontline is a public affairs firm with offices in Charleston, SC, and Washington, DC that specializes in designing and executing strategic communications, advertising and digital campaigns for business, non-profit and political organizations.

Hauser most recently served as communications director for the Tim Pawlenty for President campaign, running press operations from campaign headquarters in Minneapolis.  Prior to serving Governor Pawlenty, Hauser worked in corporate communications for JPMorgan Chase in New York City.

Hauser previously served as Communications Director for Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE), Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce and as Spokeswoman for International Affairs at the Department of Treasury.  Her campaign experience includes stints as a Regional Press Secretary at the Republican National Committee in the 2006 cycle and as Iowa Communications Director for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in 2004.

Hauser is a graduate of Texas A&M University.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)