Lobbying world

Muftiah McCartin joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as vice president for government and corporate relations. McCartin most recently was co-chair of Covington & Burling LLP’s public policy practice and previously served as staff director of the House Committee on Rules. 

The Brunswick Group hired Mitch Bainwol as a senior adviser. Bainwol most recently was chief government relations officer at Ford Motor Co. and previously served as chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). 

Jason Kanter joined IBM as government and regulatory affairs executive. Kanter most recently served as Democratic professional staffer for the House Ways and Means committee. 

Nuclear reactor manufacturer BWX Technologies Inc. hired Ryan Colvert as a senior director for government relations. Colvert most recently served as senior defense policy adviser to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and is a Marine Corps veteran. 

Timothy Strafford joined Steptoe & Johnson LLP as a partner in the firm’s D.C. office. Strafford previously served as chief of staff at the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and most recently was associate general counsel at the Association of American Railroads.

Covington & Burling LLP named Brian Smith and Michele Pearce co-chairs of the firm’s D.C. public policy practice. Smith joined the firm in 1999 as a law clerk and legislative specialist. Pearce joined last year after serving as acting general counsel to the U.S. Army.

Autonomous vehicle company Applied Intuition hired Elizabeth Down as a policy analyst in its newly launched D.C. office. Down previously was a research associate at Tiber Creek Group.