Bill Burton Joins Democratic Public Affairs Firm

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Bill Burton Joins Democratic Public Affairs Firm

Bill Burton, the former White House spokesman who most recently oversaw the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA during the 2012 campaign, will be joining Global Strategy Group, the Democratic public affairs firm announced Friday.

Burton will serve as executive vice president and managing director of the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

The announcement:

Global Strategy Group (GSG) is pleased to announce that Bill Burton has joined the firm as Executive Vice President, Managing Director in the Washington, DC office.

Burton, a former White House Deputy Press Secretary, joins the firm after most recently serving as senior strategist to Priorities USA Action, the super PAC widely recognized for its efforts in helping re-elect President Obama to his second term.

“Bill has played a major role in two successful presidential elections, advised and represented the President of the United States, and has a deep understanding of the communications and political landscapes in Washington,” said Jon Silvan, CEO. “He will be a tremendous asset to our team and to our clients.”

“GSG is an outstanding, dynamic and rapidly growing firm. I couldn’t be more excited to join such a talented team,” said Burton. “I look forward to building on our strong presence in Washington, and to extending GSG’s unrivaled combination of strategic thinking and sharp execution that the firm provides for its clients.”

“Bill is a rare talent and a terrific person,” said Jim Papa, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for GSG’s Washington Office. “We are delighted to have him on board and look forward to working with him to meet our clients’ needs.”

Burton, named one of Business Insider’s “Most Powerful People of 2012”, has worked at the highest levels of national politics for 15 years. Most recently, he was a co-founder and senior strategist for Priorities USA Action, the super PAC dedicated to the reelection of President Obama. Priorities has been widely noted for its impact during the election. Business Insider named it the “most effective Super PAC of the 2012 election cycle”, POLITICO called its ads “some of the most effective and memorable of the cycle” and National Journalwrote that the group, “despite spending far less money, ultimately proved to have a bigger impact.”

Burton was one of the first hires on President Obama’s first presidential campaign where he was the national press secretary. After inauguration, he served in the Obama administration as deputy White House press secretary and special assistant to the President. In that capacity, Burton traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, with the President, briefing reporters both on Air Force One and at the podium in the White House briefing room. During his tenure at the White House, Burton was mentioned as one of the “Power Players in Washington” by National Journal, citing him for being “tough”, “fair” and an “honest broker” with the press.

During the 2006 electoral cycle, a year when Democrats won a historic number of seats to take the majority in the House, Burton worked as Rahm Emanuel’s communications director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Before that, Burton served as a communications adviser to Congressman Dick Gephardt, U.S. Senators John Kerry and Tom Harkin, and others.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/bill-burton-joins-democratic-public-affairs-firm

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