Announcements – July 29, 2009

Livingston Group welcomes new healthcare director: The Livingston Group LLC has brought on Mark F. Lindsay as its new director of the healthcare and pharmaceutical practice area. Prior to the Livingston Group, Lindsay was a member of the Obama administration transition team. Lindsay also has experience as a senior White House adviser to President Clinton and was a senior executive for UnitedHealth Group.

In his new position, Lindsay will use his expertise to lead a team of healthcare advocates.

{mosads}Coffman’s office gets new communications chief: Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) announced a new communications director, Nathaniel Sillin. Sillin comes to Capitol Hill from R&R Partners, a Western-focused integrated communications firm where he was an associate in the government and public affairs practice. Sillin served in 2005 on the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. His Capitol Hill experience includes working in the press office of the House Committee on Science and for Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.).

Engagements and Weddings

Deangelis-Lynch: Bryan DeAngelis, press secretary for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), proposed to Kate Lynch, legislative assistant for Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) on May 15. The two had dinner plans that evening, but it was a clear night, so they decided to walk down to the Potomac River in front of the monuments. DeAngelis admitted to Lynch he had lied to her — he hadn’t worked late that week. Instead, he was at dinner with her parents.

He then dropped to one knee and proposed. Lynch said she was in such shock that DeAngelis had to ask if she was ever going to answer. The two were excited and spent the rest of the evening eating takeout, drinking champagne and calling family and friends.

The two met in 2006 when both were working for Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), who is now retired. Lynch worked in his D.C. office and DeAngelis in the Lowell, Mass. district office. Meehan hosted a town hall meeting on global climate change with Gov. Deval Patrick and D.C. staff were asked to help at the event. The two knew each other through phone conversations but never met, so DeAngelis requested that Lynch work with him on press for the day. The rest is history.

The two haven’t set a wedding date yet, but are thinking about winter 2010.

Beltran-Barragan: Albert Beltran Jr., a congressional aide for Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), married kindergarten teacher Sara Barragan at San Jose’s St. John Vianney Catholic Church on Saturday, July 25. Honda was in attendance, as were the rest of his district office staff.

Beltran, who’s worked for the congressman since 2006, met Barragan in early 2008 while working an event at the elementary school where Barragan works. Shortly after meeting Barragan, Beltran realized she was the one. One of Barragan’s colleagues saw their chemistry and decided to contact Albert to set them up. They began dating, and eventually Beltran proposed to her at the historic Ainsley House in Campbell, Calif. The two are currently honeymooning in Maui.