Nicole KaldesNicole Kaldes

Nicole Kaldes is the new media relations director in the New York office of Carmichael Lynch Relate. She joins the shop from Lippe Taylor Group’s ShopPR, where she was responsible for media relations, new business and senior account management. She began her career as a reporter, including stints at Women’s Wear Daily and the Boston-based Community Newspaper Co. Interpublic owns Carmichael Lynch Relate.

Joel Leftwich takes the managing director spot in the food and agriculture practice of Glover Park Group. He worked in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Congressional Relations under President George W. Bush and most recently spent two years as the Republican majority staff director for Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

Red Alert Politics, an online publication created for young conservatives, has hired Lauren Cooley as contributors editor. She will focus on recruiting young writers for the publication, as well as reporting and providing commentary. She launched Campus Red PAC, a Florida-based program designed to identify, register and mobilize Republican voters on college campuses, Cooley is also a graduate student at the University of Miami.

Ashley BurnsAshley Burns

Ashley Burns leads the new Seattle office of RALLY, a communications firm specializing in issues advocacy. She shifts to RALLY after serving as an account director at WE Communications, where she was responsible for ed-tech campaigns, curated media events and product launches. Burns specializes in community engagement, influencer events and storytelling. RALLY has offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Cohn & Wolfe and WE Communications have added new team members in partnership with The LAGRANT Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of advertising, marketing and public relations. Marissa Bramwell has joined C&W as an account coordinator in the firm’s healthcare practice, with a remit that includes client support, media monitoring and research. WE Communications has brought on Kia Vang as an intern, assisting with technology public relations and crisis communications efforts.

Hannah ColsonHannah Colson

Hannah Colson moves to Florida's BoardroomPR from the University of Florida's ad/PR shop, The Agency at UF, where she was a media specialist working with clients like Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. At BoardroomPR, which has offices in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Colson will develop social media campaigns.