Joe Householder, who was communications director for New York Senator Hillary Clinton, has joined Public Strategies as a director in its Houston office. He began his communications career as a reporter at a Houston radio station.

Householder moved into politics in `00, working on the successful campaign of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsak. (Both Clinton and Vilsak have been mentioned as Democratic presidential candidates in `08.) Householder also worked as press secretary for Houston Mayor Lee Brown, and media relations manager at Vinson & Elkins.

Jill Bratina, communications director for Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will join PS in Washington, D.C., next month. She is a crisis expert who handled PA at Bridgestone/Firestone during its tire recall.

While in Ketchum's D.C. office, Bratina worked on the Dow Chemical account handling silicone breast implant litigation and for Wyeth-Ayerst during the phen-fen lawsuits.