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Jonathan Kott has been appointed communications director for Sen. Joe Manchin III., D-W.Va. Kott was communications director for Delaware Gov. Jack Markell’s re-election campaign. He also was communications director for former Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind. He also worked for former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. He worked at the centrist think tank Third Way.

The following people have been either hired or promoted for the Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee:

Richard J. Kessler has been named staff director. He was the Democratic staff director for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also has worked as the Democratic staff director on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Subcomittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. He served as foreign policy adviser on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kessler was a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He retired from the Army with the rank of sergeant.

John Kilvington has been named deputy staff director. He was staff director and Democratic staff director for the committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.

Emily Spain has been named communications director. She was communications director for Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del. She worked as communications director to Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif. She also has served as press secretary to Mark Warner’s 2008 campaign for Congress. She worked as deputy field director for the Dave Thomas for Congress campaign.

Glen Johnson has been hired as a senior adviser at the State Department. He was the Boston.com politics editor for the Boston Globe. He also has worked as a reporter for the Associated Press.

Elissa Buie has been named chair of the Foundation for Financial Planning. Buie is an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University. She also is CEO of accounting firm Yeske Buie. She has worked as the president of Financial Planning Group Inc.

Barbara L. Kornblau has been named executive director of the Society for Participatory Medicine, a health care advocacy group. Kornblau has worked as dean of the School of Health Professions and Studies at the University of Michigan, Flint. She has worked as a Robert Wood Johnson health policy fellow for Sens. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. She also has worked as a congressional fellow for the American Political Science Association.

Barry Barlow has been hired as chief technology officer at defense technology company The SI Organization Inc. Barlow was the director for online geospatial-intelligence services at the Defense Department’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). He has worked at the NGA as director of the acquisition directorate, chief architect and chief engineer, as well as program manager for the National System for Geospatial-Intelligence.

Gary R. Huffman has joined law and lobbying firm Vinson & Elkins as a partner. Huffman was a partner at law and lobbying firm Bingham McCutchen. He is an adjunct professor in Georgetown University tax program. He also has worked as a lawyer for McKee Nelson.

Joe Garcia Jr. has also joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner. Garcia was a partner at Bingham McCutchen. He also has worked as a lawyer for McKee Nelson.

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