Ruth Ravitz Smith, one-time General Electric, Alstrom and Travelers Corp. executive, has signed on as communications chief at New Hanover County, NC.
She worked a four-year stint at General Electric's global government affairs & policy in DC, serving as policy leader for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and GE Oil & Gas.
Earlier, Smith was VP-government affairs at Alstrom, principal at Brown Rudnick's government law & strategies practice, VP-federal government relations at Travelers, VP-federal government affairs at Northeast Utilities, director of Connecticut's DC office and legislative affairs director at Aerospace Industries Assn.
Most recently, she ran RRSmith Global Solutions.
Chris Coudriet, county manager, said Smith "brings a great mix of public and private sector leadership in communicating the efficacy of large, complex organizations."
Wilmington is the county seat of New Hanover Co., which has a population of more than 200,000.
Jeffrey Nesbit, who served as communications director for former vice president Dan Quayle, is named assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, will exit at the end of the month. Ben LaBolt, a longtime Biden adviser, will take the CD post.
Cathy Cochran, senior VP in Teneo’s Washington office, has rejoined the US Dept of Agriculture as director in its communications office.
Mexico is working with the DC-based Global Action on Gun Violence to push for “impactful gun violence prevention strategies” in the US.
Douglas Farrar, who was VP-communications and strategy at the Carnegie Center for International Peace, has joined the Federal Trade Commission as PA director.
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