Marissa Padilla, a former Obama administration appointee and top aide to Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), has been named vice president at independent public affairs shop Global Strategy Group.

Marissa PadillaMarissa Padilla
Padilla joins GSG from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, where she was principal deputy assistant secretary for public affairs. Prior to that, she was appointed by President Obama to serve as director of communications and PA for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She was previously communications director to Sen. Udall and served as press secretary and spokeswoman during Udall’s 2007 Senate run, and was also deputy political director for Secretary of State John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.

At GSG, Padilla will focus on public affairs and communications campaigns. She’ll be based out of the agency’s Washington, DC office. Executive VP Jim Papa runs GSG’s D.C. outpost.

New York-based Global Strategy Group, which was founded in 1994, last year accounted for more than $31 million in net fees. The agency earlier this year gained the addition of a corporate responsibility practice.