Lobbying world

Aparna Patrie was named public policy manager at Facebook Inc. She worked as counsel for Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than two years and before that was a trial attorney for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Heidi Obermeyer, former manager of communications and policy at CTIA, was named policy manager at BSA | The Software Alliance, which represents enterprise software companies and startups. She spent nearly two years at CTIA, a trade group for the U.S. wireless communications industry. Before that, Obermeyer was a German chancellor fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

David Bell was named director of legislative affairs at the National Automobile Dealers Association. Bell was director of government relations at the American Traffic Safety Services Association for more than two years and before that spent nearly three years on the government affairs team at the Portland Cement Association.

Lobbying firm BGR Group hired Chelsea Bacher as an associate general counsel. She was legislative director for Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) for almost a year after serving as legislative assistant for nearly two years. Before working for Rice she was an associate attorney for the Mullikin Law Firm for six years.

VH Strategies LLC announced a strategic transatlantic partnership with Brussels-based Vulcan Consulting. VH Strategies was founded by Bob Van Heuvelen, former chief of staff to ex-Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and Vulcan Consulting was founded by Lucinda Creighton, former government minister for European affairs and vice president of the European People’s Party.