Lobbying world

Akin Gump hired Matthew Hittle as a senior policy adviser. He previously was senior adviser to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. Before that, he was legislative director to ex-Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and legislative assistant for Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Stacey Hughes, president and founding partner of The Nickles Group, is leaving in January to be executive vice president at the American Hospital Association.

The Nickles Group hired Greg D’Angelo, former associate director for health programs at the White House Office of Management and Budget, as a consultant.

Waxman Strategies hired Michael Goo as a principal for the firm’s environmental practice. He previously was chief counsel for energy and environment for Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mitch Relfe, former legislative director and counsel for Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), is now manager of government relations at the National Federation of Independent Business. He previously was an associate attorney for Burr & Forman LLP, based in Alabama.

BGR Group announced that Stephen Benjamin, mayor of Columbia, S.C., joined its advisory board. He has served as mayor since July 2010.

A new trade association, the Consumer Debt Relief Initiative, launched to advocate for the debt settlement industry. The association was founded by Tomas Gordon, CEO of debt-relief company ClearOne Advantage.

Precision Strategies hired Ed Wyatt as director of communications. Watt previously was senior communications officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and before that was a reporter for The New York Times.