Lobbying World

• Former Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) is joining King & Spalding as a senior adviser in its government advocacy and public policy practice. He served in Congress from 2002 to 2010, including on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. After being defeated in a Senate bid, he was appointed by then-President Obama as special representative to the United Nations. 

• Cassidy & Associates hired a former senior defense policy aide to Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Chad Sydnor. He’s been on Capitol Hill since 2011 and in Burr’s office since 2015. Sydnor also worked for Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

{mosads}• The Network Branded Prepaid Card Association has named Brian Tate as its new CEO, effective immediately. He has been the industry group’s top lobbyist since 2013 and previously served as the vice president of banking and securities at the Financial Services Roundtable.  

• Jones Day hired former Justice Department lawyer Kathy Keneally to be a partner in the firm’s tax practice in its New York office. She comes from the law firm DLA Piper and previously led the Justice Department’s tax division. While in government, she played a major role in getting dozens of Swiss banks to hand over information about suspected offshore tax evasion by Americans. More than a dozen lawyers from Jones Day have joined the Trump administration, including White House counsel Don McGahn.

• The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) made two high-profile additions. Ed Yoon has been tapped to lead the environmental group as its director. He has been with the NRDC’s Center for Policy Advocacy for the last four years. The group has also brought on Ana Unruh Cohen to be the group’s top lobbyist. She comes from serving as the director of energy, climate and natural resources for Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass). 

• Van Scoyoc Associates hired Geoff Bowman, the former GOP staff director of a House transportation subcommittee dealing with water resources and the environment.