People on the Move

Sean Spicer, former White House Press Secretary, achieved a goal that was denied him earlier this year by President Trump—a face-to-face meeting with Pope Francis. The devout Catholic was among a group of political figures from around the world that were received by the Pope at a meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network on Aug. 27. A photo of Spicer taking a photo of the Pope was posted on the Vatican Radio website. When Trump visited the pontiff at the Vatican in May, Spicer was not included in the group of officials who accompanied the president on the trip, a snub that many interpreted as a sign that Spicer’s status in the White House was shaky. This week’s meeting also included four members of the U.S. House of Representatives: Alex Mooney (R-WV), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Andy Harris (R-MD) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL).

Crosby Marketing brought on Therese Borchard as a senior writer. Prior to joining Crosby, Borchard held positions at Orbis Technologies and Booz Allen Hamilton. She also founded Project Hope & Beyond, a nonprofit and online community focused on helping individuals with treatment-resistant depression. Borchard has also authored books on subjects ranging from mental health and recovery to marriage and parenthood. Raymond Crosby, president and CEO of Crosby said that the addition of Borchard to Crosby’s staff “further expands our capabilities to create compelling content, thought-leadership pieces and education tools for professional and consumer audiences.”

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America elected John F. Kouten, CEO of JFK Communications, Inc., as president-elect. Kouten will assume the title of president in January 2018; until then he will serve as president-elect to 2017 president Kimberly Nissen. In addition to his president-elect responsibilities, Kouten will continue to serve the Philadelphia Chapter as Membership Committee Chair. Previously, he served as chairman of the PRSSA and the Emerging Professionals Liaison Committee for PRSA Philadelphia.

TransMedia Group named Alfredo Versace as fashion consultant to the firm. “It’s about time my talented friend steps out of the shadows cast a decade ago when a judge ruled in a lawsuit brought by his arch rival Donatella Versace that Alfredo can’t use his last name on products,” said TransMedia CEO Tom Madden. Alfredo comes from the same Italian town as Gianni Versace, whom he claims is his cousin. While Madden says that Versace will consult TransMedia clients on designing and marketing their work, he will not have his famous last name on any products.

HATS OFF: Pierson Grant Public Relations vice president Marielle Sologuren was among 12 Latinas honored for their contributions to the South Florida community at the 16th Annual Hispanic Women of Distinction Charity luncheon on August 25. The awards were presented Latina Style Magazine in partnership with Bank of America and AARP presented the awards. At Pierson Grant, Sologuren assists journalists in covering the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and other boat shows throughout Florida. She also leads PR programs for clients in the healthcare, real estate and legal industries.