Potomac Flacks

LAST CHANCE -- EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PF READERS: March 9 Gridiron Reprise Tickets!

For 126 years, Washington's Gridiron Club of national journalists has held an annual show featuring satire and songs that skewer Presidents and congressional leaders, lobbyists and sacred cows.

Now the Gridiron's Sunday afternoon performance, traditionally given for friends and family, is open to Potomac Flacks’ influential readers.

The 2013 Reprise will be held on Sunday, March 9, in the ballroom of the Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street NW. The reception, which includes an open bar, begins at 2 p.m. and the reprise starts at 3 p.m. The program will end by 5 p.m.

Tickets cost $80.

ORDER NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT: Email [email protected] with "Potomac Flacks" in the subject line. (PF exclusive)

JOB OF THE WEEK: Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Communications Director

Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a national nonprofit sentencing reform organization on the verge of a major success, seeks a dynamic, creative, strategic, hard-working Communications Director to push us over the top!

The ideal candidate has experience working on a policy campaign and coordinating communication across media, grassroots and/or grasstops advocacy, and legislative lobbying efforts. Requirements include: excellent writing skills, an ability to quickly crank out op-eds and press releases, social media proficiency, persistence and fearlessness in promoting staff experts to print and broadcast media, a killer media rolodex across the political spectrum, comfort working with the political left and right, and enthusiasm for team work.  Capitol Hill experience and background in criminal justice a plus; agreement with FAMM’s mission a must.

FAMM opposes mandatory sentencing laws that prevent the punishment from fitting the crime and the individual's role in it. We support fair and proportionate justice; the right to be judged as an individual; and a reverence for liberty that abhors depriving someone of his most basic freedoms any longer than necessary to protect the rights and safety of others.

TO APPLY: Please send a cover letter, resume and salary requirements to [email protected]. No calls, please.  (PF tipster)

JOB OF THE WEEK: Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, Managing Editor for Broadcast and Media Development

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) seeks to hire a highly motivated, energetic and entrepreneurial Managing Editor for Broadcast and Media Development to raise the institution's profile on television and radio, develop relationships with regional media and identify external partners. S/he will identify unique angles and opportunities to position executive staff, experts and fellows as thought leaders; be tasked with forming strong relationships with bookers/producers as well as FDD leadership and staff to create fresh opportunities to present unique perspectives; and take pride in their accountability.

Qualifications include:

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in political, policy, association or nonprofit booking with major electronic media or as a booker/producer for the same
• Superb attention to detail
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to work on tight deadlines and with the news cycle as required
• Demonstrated discretion with proprietary and/or sensitive information
• High-level critical thinking skills, sound judgment and calm under pressure 

S/he will have a commitment to working within a flat communications structure and a strong interest in FDD's areas of expertise.

 

FDD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan national security and foreign policy institute devoted to independent research in the defense of free nations against their enemies. Founded in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, FDD uniquely combines policy research, counterterrorism and democracy education, strategic communications, and investigative journalism to pursue the goal of a more secure future for America and her allies.

TO APPLY: Interested applicants are encouraged submit a cover letter and CV to [email protected]. No phone calls, please. Salary commensurate with experience.  See more at: http://defenddemocracy.org/about-fdd/jobs-internships/#sthash.pkWmrodA.dpuf  (PF tipster)

JOB OF THE WEEK: U.S. Senate (Democrat), Press Secretary

Communications professionals: Do you know what to do with a Loose Cannon or a Natty Boh? Do Berger Cookies or Smith Island Cake remind you of home?

If you answered yes and you are an outstanding writer with strong media skills, we are looking for you.

A Progressive U.S. Senator from Maryland is seeking a state-based Press Secretary.

In addition to excellent writing skills under fast-changing deadlines, ideal candidates should be self-motivated and detail oriented. A minimum of two years working with or in media is required. Capitol Hill experience preferred but not essential. Working knowledge of Baltimore media will raise candidates to the top ranks of those considered.

Day-to-day responsibilities include drafting media releases/advisories and other press materials, maintaining press contact lists, event development and advance, creating social media content, managing web content and answering media inquiries. Strong candidates will be fast learners with the ability to grasp a variety of complex issues and translate them in easy to understand language. Maryland ties a strong plus. The position is based in Baltimore, works closely with field staff across the state, and reports to the Communications Director.

TO APPLY: Interested applicants should email a resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing samples to [email protected].

Please do not post on additional sites or listservs.  (PF exclusive)

LAST CHANCE -- EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR PF READERS: Gridiron Reprise Tickets!

For 126 years, Washington's Gridiron Club of national journalists has held an annual show featuring satire and songs that skewer Presidents and congressional leaders, lobbyists and sacred cows.

Now the Gridiron's Sunday afternoon performance, traditionally given for friends and family, is open to Potomac Flacks’ influential readers.

The 2013 Reprise will be held on Sunday, March 9, in the ballroom of the Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street NW. The reception, which includes an open bar, begins at 2 p.m. and the reprise starts at 3 p.m. The program will end by 5 p.m.

Tickets cost $80.

ORDER NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT: Email [email protected] with "Potomac Flacks" in the subject line. (PF exclusive)

Exclusive: Former Bush administration aide Ditto Hangs a Shingle

Trey Ditto, a former Deputy Press Secretary in the Bush administration at the U.S. Department of Education, launched his own firm, Ditto Public Affairs (DPA), based in Brooklyn, NY.

DPA will serve various clients in the health care, financial services, technology, entertainment, legal and public policy industries.

Trey was formerly a V.P. with Emanate PR.

Joining him is Nicolle Gallo, who joins from the public affairs team at Edelman in D.C.  Previously she worked for Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), the New Jersey Republican State Committee and Governor Chris Christie's (R-NJ) gubernatorial campaign in communication roles.  (PF tipster)

PR Firms Rasky Baerlein and Prism Merge

Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc. (RBSC) and Prism Public Affairs announced today that they are merging two of the leading, independent public affairs firms in the country. 

The new firm will offer an expanded suite of services combining RBSC’s reputation management, corporate communications and bipartisan government relations capabilities with Prism’s experience in public affairs, crisis and litigation communications.  RBSC and Prism’s senior strategists boast subject matter expertise in financial services, energy, healthcare, life sciences, higher education, defense, technology and telecommunications, which is matched with knowledge of an ever-changing political, legislative and regulatory landscape.

The firms will also combine their leading-edge digital public affairs and communications services. 

The combined entity will include operations in both Boston and Washington, D.C., with a team of 55 professionals and will ultimately be known as Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications.  During the transition period, it will operate in Washington, D.C. as Rasky Baerlein|Prism and will be managed by the senior team of Mr. Leibach, Prism’s Co-Founder and Managing Director Amanda Deaver, and David Tamasi, senior vice president of Rasky Baerlein.

Combined revenue for 2013 stands at approximately $15 million, making RBSC one of the top 25 independent public relations firms in the country by revenue.  Prism’s current partners – Dale Leibach, Amanda Deaver and Rex Granum – will join the Rasky Baerlein partnership, which recently announced the addition of George Cronin, Justine Griffin and Jim Cabot to the long-time RBSC partnership of Joe Baerlein, Ann Carter and Larry Rasky.

Rasky and Leibach enjoy a long history, having worked together on presidential and congressional campaigns.  (PF tipster)

VOX Global Hires Communications Vet Maine

VOX Global, a bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm, has hired Holly Maine as Senior Vice President in the agency’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, where she will advise Fortune 500 clients on new ways to increase their efficiency when executing digital campaigns.

Prior to joining VOX, Holly was a Senior Account Executive and Regional Director with Centro, where she worked with numerous public affairs firms and advertising agencies to design and execute innovative digital campaigns.

During her tenure with Centro, Holly worked with clients to create digital strategies designed to mobilize and persuade voters, raise brand or issue awareness and drive sales revenue for consumer clients. Holly began her career as an Advertising Director at National Journal. Her work there included multi-platform selling and creating integrated advertising campaigns for Fortune 100 companies.

Holly graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a Bachelor of Arts in American Government and Politics.

Holly joins VOX Global’s Digital Public Affairs practice group, joining VOX’s leading experts on digital campaign strategy. This team brings experience and insight to organizations interested in more effectively utilizing strategic communications to achieve their missions.  (PF tipster)

White House Deputy Press Secretary Smith Leaving White House for Private Sector

Politico’s Mike Allen reports that Jamie Smith, a deputy press secretary in the White House, will “leave the West Wing on Feb. 7 after four years in the Obama administration.”

Allen reports that Smith will remain in Washington and join the private sector.

Smith worked on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign in 2008, only Capitol Hill and for the Director of National Intelligence.

Per Allen:

    Smith, a special assistant to the president, came to the White House in June, 2011, from the Office of the DNI, where she was director of public affairs during the Arab Spring and the Osama bin Laden raid. Before that, she was communications director for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) when he was chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and later when he chaired the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

    Smith also served as traveling press director of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.  On New Year’s Eve, 2007, she took two days off the campaign trail to marry Eric Pierce, now principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for legislative affairs. Then the two drove from Chicago back to Iowa to meet up with the campaign. The real honeymoon came a year later.

    Smith has also been communications director for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the Albright Group; legislative aide to Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.); and operations manager for issue advocacy at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She’s a native of Buffalo Grove, Ill., and graduated from Kenyon College.  (Politico’s Mike Allen)