On the Move Saxum Hires Jennifer Monies; The PR Trust Names Tobias van Veen Exec. Director; PPG Recruits NRA's Emily Elizer

Jennifer Monies

Saxum has hired Jennifer Monies as senior director of public affairs in its Oklahoma City office. Monies joins Saxum from nonprofit Oklahoma Achieves, where she served as executive director, working to strengthen partnerships between business and education. Previously, she was senior advisor and press secretary at the Oklahoma State Senate, serving on the Senate President Pro Tempore’s leadership team. She has also been senior vice president of communications and marketing at the State Chamber of Oklahoma, director of communications at the Oklahoma House of Representatives and worked as a political reporter at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. In her new role, Monies is responsible for developing strategies and working with Saxum clients to execute public affairs and legislative-related work throughout the firm's regional and national footprint.

Tobias van Veen

The PR Trust has named Tobias C. van Veen executive director. Formerly the education and research advisor to The PR Trust, van Veen has spearheaded initiatives in digital communications including open access publishing and the mobile commons. With university, industry and creative partners he has organized over four dozen international events focusing on higher education, media arts and civil society. He was previously director of global technology arts network UpgradeMTL at the Society for Arts and Technology and director of the Sonic Scene Project for the Mobile Digital Commons Network, a multi-university and creative industry partnership sponsored by Canada Heritage. Dr. van Veen currently teaches critical communications studies at Quest University while undertaking research in media and cultural studies at University of California, Riverside.

Emily Elizer

PPG has appointed Emily Elizer director, government affairs. Elizer comes to PPG from the National Rifle Association, where served as state director, responsible for representing the organization and its members before state and local elected officials in Delaware, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. She was previously manager of government affairs at U.S. Steel. In her new role, Elizer will lead PPG’s government affairs activities, including international and domestic public policy, political engagement, the PPG Political Action Committee and related compliance activities.