Lobbying World

• The Open Markets Institute announced Laura Hatalsky as chief of staff. She will work on the Institute’s strategic direction and engagement in the growing antimonopoly movement. Hatalsky previously was deputy chief of staff to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). She was also policy director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2016 election cycle.

• Abbie McDonough is vice president at Breakwater Strategy. She most recently was communications director for former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) for more than five years. Before that, McDonough was national press secretary to ex-Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)

• Luis Acosta, former director of both broadcast and LGBTQ media at the Democratic National Committee, is now national press secretary for campaigns at the Human Rights Campaign.

• Kristine Fargotstein, who has served as the Federal Communications Committee’s detail to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications Technology for more than a year, is moving to USTelecom. She will be vice president for policy and advocacy.

• Bob Stein, the president of the American Society on Aging, announced he is retiring after 12 years at the helm of the organization. Cynthia Banks will be interim head of the society, which has established a search committee to find a replacement.