Potomac Flacks

Top FEMA Flack Racusen Departs for SKDKnickerbocker

FEMA's Director of Public Affairs Rachel Racusen announced that she will be joining SKDKnickerbocker as a Vice President.

Rachel Racusen comes to the after serving nearly two years at FEMA, where she acted as the agency’s chief national spokesperson, developing and executing all external and internal communications for the agency while simultaneously running their national press office. Racusen directed crisis communications efforts for some of the worst weather disasters in recent history including Hurricane Irene and the deadly tornadoes that struck the southeast and Joplin last spring and helped coordinate rapid response efforts for high-profile incidents such as the Japan earthquake and the Gulfwater Horizon BP oil spill.

Prior to FEMA, Racusen was at the House Education and Labor Committee on Capitol Hill, where she served as the Communications Director for the democratic staff of the committee and its chairman, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA). There she devised the media strategies for key legislative priorities of the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration.

Prior to her stint on Capitol Hill, Rachel worked for Dittus Communications, a bipartisan public affairs firm, where she helped develop strategies for clients with a number of different crisis communications needs on issues ranging from retirement security to law enforcement to internet gaming rights. She has also done press work on several campaigns, including the Obama presidential campaign, as well as Senate and House races.

She graduated from Union College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. (PF tipster)

Veteran Flack and EPA Associate Administrator for External Affairs Oster Departs for KPMG, LLP

First reported by Politico Pro’s Patrick Reis, Seth Oster has departed as EPA’s Associate Administrator for External Affairs and in January will take over corporate communications for KPMG LLP, the giant tax, audit and advisory firm.

Per Politico, “Oster will be moving to New York, and starts his new gig in January.”

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson wrote in a note to the staff: “Seth has transformed the way EPA talks about our work protecting the environment and people’s health and I am deeply grateful for his service to the agency.”

Oster has had a long career in communications.  He most recently served as the MPAA’s Executive Vice President for Global Communications.  Previously he was Deputy National Executive Director, Communications for the Screen Actors Guild, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Napster, Vice President, Corporate Communications and Government Affairs at Stamps.com, Communications Director at the American Film Institute and Deputy Director of Communications for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

Oster is a native of Brooklyn, NY and a graduate of the George Washington University.  (Politico Pro, PF reporting)

EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Senate Flack Wymer will Move West; Named Corporate Communications Director for TiVo

TiVo Inc., the creator of and leader in advanced television services including digital video recorders (DVRs), today announced that Steve Wymer has been named Director of Corporate Communications. He will lead external and internal communications efforts for the company based in their Alviso, Calif. headquarters.

Wymer has been a senior advisor and communications strategist to three U.S. Senators, most recently serving as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE), where he has served since July 2010. He is the immediate past president of the U.S. Senate Press Secretaries Association. From April 2009-July 2010, Wymer served as communications advisor to the minority (Republican) staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.  Earlier in his career, from August 2006 – January 2009 he was Communications Director for Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO). 

In addition to his Senate communications experience, Wymer has lectured and consulted on behalf of the U.S. State Department in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Rwanda and Albania.

From 2004-2009, he has also operated his own firm (part-time) to assist student leadership organizations in higher education through conference facilitation and on-site consultations.  He began his career in Washington as a legislative staffer for Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR).

Wymer is a 2001 graduate of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.  (PF tipster)

Glover Park Group Wins Top Award

The Glover Park Group won the presitgious 2011 Global SABRE for Outstanding Public Affairs Consultancy, hosted by The Holmes Report. According to The Holmes Report, "Washington, DC heavyweight Glover Park's ability to synthesize top-tier public affairs credentials with a formidable communications offering helped it prevail despite a highly-competitive shortlist."

Founded in 2001, the company now has offices ni New York, Los Angeles and Boulder, Co. (PF Tipster)

DOJ Flack Matthew Miller Joins Vianovo in DC

First reported by Politico’s Mike Allen in the “Playbook”, Vianovo, a leading stategy consultancy at the intersection of business, policy and politics announced that Matthew Miller has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington office.

According to Allen, Miller joined the U.S. Department of Justice “after shepherding Attorney General Eric Holder’s nomination” and became Director of the Office of Public Affairs.

At DOJ, according to Vianovo’s release, “Miller helped lead the Obama administration’s media response to three major terrorist attacks, as well as coordinate communications for the Department’s reaction to the financial crisis, major white collar and criminal investigations, and antitrust and civil matters.”

Previously Miller served as Communications Director for the House Democratic Caucus and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) under then-Chairman Chuck Schumer (D-NY).  Miller is also a veteran of the 2004 Kerry-Edwards campaign.

Miller is a graduate of the University of Texas.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)

Former Bush Spokesman Saliterman Departs Bloomberg LP in NYC for Google in DC

First exclusively reported in Politico’s “Playbook this morning, Rob Saliterman has “joined Google to run its sales and outreach efforts to Republican campaigns.  Rob will be the political ads team’s point person in Washington, building relationships with campaign managers, digital agencies and advocacy groups to drive adoption of online advertising.”

Saliterman was most recently Chief of Staff for Public Affairs at Bloomberg LP in New York, where he reported to former New York City Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey.

Before joining Bloomberg LP, Saliterman served as Communications Director for the office of former President George W. Bush in Dallas.  Earlier in his career he served in theBush administration at both the White House ant the Treasury Department, and as well as in roles with the Republican National Committee and the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection committee.

Saliterman earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 2011 and a degree in History from Columbia University in 2004.  He is a native of Minnetonka, MN. (Politico’s “Playbook”)

PF EXCLUSIVE: After Five Years on Capitol Hill, Mask Joins Global Vision Communications

Capitol Hill veteran communications director, Lindsey Mask, has moved to the DC-based strategic public relations firm, Global Vision Communications, which focuses on assisting business leaders in associations and corporations.

Mask's background includes several years as the communications lead for U.S. Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Trent Franks (AZ-02), Director of Outreach & Coalitions for the House Education & Workforce Committee, the network & cable liaison for the 2008 GOP Convention, a speechwriter and aide in Texas state politics, and as a news anchor for an ABC affiliate in Michigan.

Apart from her professional work, Mask is the Founder of Ladies America, which has professional networking organizations for women across the country (Ladies DC, Ladies NYC, Ladies NC and Ladies CT).

She earned a degree in Mass Communication (Broadcast) and Speech Communication at Texas State University (San Marcos) and is a native of Willow Park, TX.  (PF tipster) 

 

Former CNN, CBS Producer Yuille Heads to Facebook

Exclusively reported in Politico’s “Playbook” recently, Jennifer Yuille has joined Facebook's communications team, where she will lead consumer media efforts.  She'll be based in New York, but will be spending time in Palo Alto and will start near the end of July.

A former White House producer at CNN, Jen last year left the “CBS Evening News,” where she was a producer for Katie Couric, and joined Polyvore, a Silicon Valley fashion startup that has become the largest fashion community on the Web.  (Politico’s “Playbook”)

DCI Group Hires Prominent Flacks Schulte and McLaughlin for Public Affairs Team

DCI Group, a DC-based public affairs firm, today announced that two seasoned communications professionals have joined the firm.  Beneva Schulte (no picture available) and Kevin McLaughlin (pictured at left) join DCI as Vice Presidents.

Schulte joins DCI Group with more than 20 years of experience in strategic counsel and public affairs.  Previously Beneva was Chief Deputy Director for the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC), where she oversaw communications and external affairs during public hearings and led strategic implementation of the hearing schedule and protocol.  Additionally her private sector experience is comprised of stints at Schulte Communications, Webber Merritt Strategies, and Barbour, Griffith & Rogers.  She also has extensive campaign and political experience, having worked as National Communications Director for Chris Dodd for President, Campaign Manager for Carolyn McCarthy for Congress, and Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).

McLaughlin has more than ten years of Capitol Hill, campaign and media experience.  He most recently served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).  Prior to working for Sen. Cornyn, McLaughlin held leadership positions in the campaigns for Sen. John McCain and John Raese for Senate, worked in media affairs for the U.S. Department of State, and was Director of Broadcasting for the Republican National Committee.  (PF tipster)

Cato’s Scoville Heads to CRAFT Media/Digital

First reported in Politico’s “Morning Money”, Cato Institute Manager of New Media George Scoville is departing for a new job as Senior Campaign Manager at CRAFT Media/Digital.

While at Cato, Scoville specialized in “new media communications and strategy, technology, regulatory, social and economic policy, and American politics”.

Scoville is also the Editor and Founder of a blog, the Dangerous Servant, a website dedicated to monitoring and reporting on government failures and abuses of government power.

Scoville holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and political science from Belmont University in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, and a master of public policy from American University.  (Politico’s “Influence”)