Skip to content

Saxton Appoints Press Secretary

Australia, Papua New Guinea, the battlefields of Iraq, and now Washington, D.C. — Greg Keeley has certainly been all over the world. The well-traveled Australian now lands in our nation’s capital as a newly appointed press secretary in the office of Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.).

As press secretary, Keeley’s focus will be on issues of national security relating to Saxton’s chairmanship of the Joint Economic Committee and the subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities.

Keeley appears well-qualified to tackle national security issues, having himself been on the front lines of the war on terrorism in the Middle East. He has been a military public affairs officer in the Australian Defense Staff, a Washington and public affairs officer in the Royal Australian Navy. For his service abroad in Iraq and the Middle East, Keeley was awarded the Australian Overseas Service Medal.

Keeley has also served as communications director for the Australian Federal Police, Australia’s equivalent of the FBI, and has worked for the International Deployment Group in Papua New Guinea. Serving as Saxton’s new press secretary won’t be Keeley’s first experience in politics, as he was once involved in Australian federal politics as media adviser to the chair of the Joint Defense, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee.

Keeley holds a bachelor’s in politics and history from Curtin University of Technology, located in Perth, Australia.

Lucas Promotes One, Hires Another. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) can’t be faulted for overlooking home-grown talent to staff his Washington, D.C., office. He recently promoted a Sooner from his home state of Oklahoma and hired another.

Courtney Box, previously Lucas’ staff assistant, moves up to assume the dual role of deputy press secretary and legislative assistant. Box is a 2003 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she earned her degree in letters. She hails from Enid, Okla., and joined Lucas’ staff in September 2003.

New to the position of staff assistant is John Solomon, who graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma in June 2004 with a degree in letters and a minor in economics. After his graduation, Solomon spent a year in Egypt studying Arabic, and before joining Lucas’ staff he worked as a legal assistant in Steptoe and Johnson’s international practice department. Solomon is a native of Oklahoma City.

Recent Stories

Court says South Carolina can use current congressional map

Joseph Lieberman: A Capitol life in photos

‘Take the money and run’: Obama, Clinton to raise campaign cash for Biden at A-list NYC event

Cole considered early favorite to win House Appropriations gavel

Joseph Lieberman, an iconoclast who frustrated the Democratic Party, dies at 82

Officials: Baltimore bridge price tag could be at least $2 billion