Meredith Kenny, U.S. Rep. Don Young's indefatigable spokesperson, is leaving her job with Young effective in the beginning of August. Born and bred Juneau resident Luke Miller will be taking over for her.
Kenny has taken a job with Strategies360, a Seattle-based group that describes itself as one of "the country's leading strategic positioning firms (with) experts at negotiating the political landscape, crafting content, building coalitions and targeting communications."
It may be hard, through its description, to tell what the group actually does. But one thing the firm is certainly good at is snatching up talent associated with Alaska. Former APRN reporter David Shurtleff is director of Alaska operations. The company recently hired former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz, who ran against and lost to Young in 2008, when Young was plagued with a possible corruption scandal, one that federal investigators dropped unceremoniously in 2010 with a phone call.
Shurtleff was Berkowitz's spokesperson during the campaign.
Kenny handled the nattering nabobs through that thicket, and she also helped Young steer through the "bridges to nowhere" flak. Kenny saw Young through the transition from House majority to minority, and was there during Young's darkest hour, when his much-adored wife Lu died in 2009.
Kenny's weathered much with her boss, but it hasn't soured her on Alaska. In fact, she's bitten by the bug, and although she'll make Seattle her home, she said that that working for Strategies360 is a way to keep her involved in Alaska issues.
Strategies360 takes on a lot of campaigns normally associated with the Democrats, including labor, education and environmental issues. One of its largest campaigns in Alaska is to support a coalition that opposes Pebble Mine. Kenny, however, sees the group more as a regional player than a political one -- a firm deeply involved in Northwest issues.
Kenny added that the group is involved in a "whole spectrum" of projects.
She'll miss Young, she said. For years now she's bragged that she has the best boss in D.C. She won't, however, miss D.C.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amanda(at)alaskadispatch.com
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