Lobbying World: Longtime journalist joins Invariant

Marcus Weisgerber is joining the strategic communications and public affairs team at Invariant as a senior director. Weisgerber — who makes the move to one of K Street’s biggest firms after two decades as a journalist — most recently led Defense One’s defense industry coverage as global business editor.

Beth Connolly has joined Winning Strategies Washington as a senior principal. Connolly was most recently the former assistant director of the Office of Public Health within the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. She was previously commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services and director of the substance use prevention and treatment initiative at the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Shayne Woods has joined the Alpine Group as a vice president. Woods was most recently a senior legislative adviser to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and he previously worked for Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and former Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.).

Nick Pasternak has joined Chartwell Strategy Group as a director. He was most recently a vice president at Firehouse Strategies and was previously a speechwriter for former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.).

Adam Hodge is joining Bully Pulpit International as a managing director in the agency’s Washington, D.C., office. Hodge most recently served as a top spokesperson for the Biden administration’s National Security Council and the U.S. trade representative, and he is a Treasury, Democratic National Committee, Capitol Hill and Obama reelection campaign alum.

Husch Blackwell Strategies has tapped Marianna Deal and Kirsty McDonald to lead the firm’s new public affairs practice as chair and president, respectively. Deal most recently served as senior communications adviser to Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and as his communications director during his time as Missouri attorney general. McDonald was most recently a principal at the strategic communications firm Two Skies Group.

Joseph Trahern has become of counsel to K&L Gates in its Public Policy and Law practice. Trahern was most recently executive director and senior director for federal government affairs at Comcast. He previously led General Motors’s legislative and regulatory affairs and has been a top staffer to several members of Congress. He was also special assistant to the president for political affairs during the Clinton administration.

The Crypto Council for Innovation has hired Ryan Eagan as an associate director for government affairs and Patrick Kirby as policy counsel. Eagan is a Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) alum, and Kirby comes from Dentons, where he was an attorney in the law firm’s U.S. policy and government relations group.

Doug Pinkham, president and CEO of the Public Affairs Council, will be retiring at the end of 2024. Pinkham helmed the international association for public affairs professionals for 27 years and was the third person to lead the council since 1954.