Lobbying World

• Kate Renz, who was previously working on trade issues for outgoing Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine), was recently named director of government and regulatory affairs for Pitney Bowes. “Pitney Bowes is becoming a leader in e-commerce so I’m going to be focusing largely on trade issues in e-commerce,” Renz told The Hill.  “We’re working on those trade issues to help ensure that Pitney Bowes and our clients are able to navigate the global marketplace.”

She added that Pitney Bowes also works with the Postal Service and “will continue to work with Congress to come up with bipartisan proposals for postal reform.”

{mosads}She was legislative counsel and senior legislative assistant for Poliquin since he first came to Congress in 2015. Before that, she worked for Maine Sens. Angus King (I) and Susan Collins (R).

• Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP named Kathleen Benway as a partner. She was previously chief of staff at the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Benway will be working on privacy issues, data security and consumer protection policy.

• Robert Lewis Jr. has founded a government relations firm, The Van Aucker Group LLC, which will specialize in banking, financial services, housing, insurance, privacy and tax policy. He previously was the vice president of financial services for the American Council of Life Insurers. Lewis got his start in Washington as a legislative assistant to former Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.)

• Tina Tower was recently named Amazon’s program manager for U.S. public policy. She was Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) deputy scheduler and assistant to the chief of staff. She joins other former congressional aides who have joined the tech company: LaDavia Drane, who was Rep. Yvette Clarke’s (D-N.Y.) chief of staff, and Tony Clair, who was Rep. G.K. Butterfield’s (D-N.C.) chief of staff. They are working on diversity issues.