Lobbying World: Chamber hires former Republican congressman

Former Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) is joining the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as head of government affairs. The Chamber’s relationship with some Republicans has suffered in recent years, but one former senior Republican leadership aide told The Hill this is “a move in the right direction and actually kind of a splash of a hire.”

Davis told The Hill in a phone interview that “there’s always going to be challenges, and rebuilding those relationships is what I’ve been trying to do even before it was announced.”

“I sat down with members of leadership, members of the House Republican leadership, and talked to them about now they not only have a friend and an ally and a former colleague over there, they also have somebody who was involved in helping to craft the Trump tax cuts that now need to be reauthorized taxes,” Davis said. “Taxes are going to be an issue where we should be working very closely together moving into 2025.”

Davis also said he has a “very good” relationship with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), who is scrutinizing donations the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation received from a left-leaning nonprofit, the Tides Foundation.

Megan Bloomgren is heading back to DCI Group as a partner. She was previously a partner at the firm from 2011-16 and was most recently senior vice president of communications at the American Petroleum Institute.

Fred Ferguson is now president and CEO of American Bus Association. He joins from the outdoor sports company Vista Outdoor, where he was most recently vice president of public affairs and communication.

Narrative Strategies has hired Daraka Satcher as managing director. Satcher most recently served as the chief operating officer and executive vice president of federal affairs for Ohio River South, an Atlanta-based government and public affairs agency, and was previously deputy assistant secretary in the Commerce Department under the Obama administration and the first chief of staff for Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.).

Narrative is also adding Noah Vieux as a marketing associate and Sarah Flakus as a strategic communications associate. Vieux was previously a public relations fellow at Curley Company, and Flakus was previously a fellow at Seven Letter.

Cecilia Thomas has joined Venn Strategies as a vice president in the firm’s health practice. Thomas was most recently senior government relations manager for the Trust for America’s Health and is a Planned Parenthood, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Commerce Department alum.