Firm promotes Jess McCarron and Scott Lusk to Executive Vice President and hires Madeleine Russak as Vice President
Washington, D.C., April 3, 2023 – Signal Group, a leading Washington, D.C. public affairs firm, today announced the promotion of Jess McCarron and Scott Lusk to Executive Vice President and the hiring of Madeleine Russak as Vice President to bolster its Modern Public Affairs practice, and healthcare expertise. Signal also announced the promotion of four additional team members, including:
- Christine Ryon to Director of Finance
- Meg Fosha to Senior Associate
- Claire Zavrel to Senior Associate
- Jenna Kent to Operations Associate
“We are delighted to have Madeleine join our Signal team, as her strategic communications experience is impressive and multifaceted, and will serve our portfolio of healthcare clients, and beyond,” said Chelsea Koski, the Chair of Signal’s Communications practice and a member of the Signal Management Committee. “Additionally, we are thrilled to promote Jess and Scott to Executive Vice President, along with the promotion of an additional four team members, who have exemplified collaborative public affairs to advance our clients’ strategic goals.”
Madeleine brings a decade of strategic communications and media relations experience to Signal, having worked for Members of Congress, Congressional Committees, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns. On Capitol Hill, Madeleine oversaw communications strategy for dozens of legislative rollouts, the passage of numerous bills, and high-profile Senate hearings to consider Cabinet-level and Supreme Court nominees.
“I am very excited to join Signal’s dynamic team and use my experience working at the intersection of federal policy and political communications to deliver results for Signal’s clients,” said Russak. “My experience working for elected officials, political candidates, and advocacy organizations has provided me with the tools to influence policy and tell stories that make a difference inside and outside the Beltway. Signal is growing at record levels, and I’m thrilled to be joining during this exciting time.”
Prior to joining Signal, Madeleine served as the Communications Director for U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono, where she developed and executed all media strategies and served as a senior communications and policy advisor to the Senator. She also worked as the Deputy Communications Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee for former Ranking Member and Chair U.S. Senator Patty Murray. As the lead spokesperson for the Committee during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was responsible for crafting and communicating Senate Democrats’ messaging on health care, education, and labor policy and advancing legislative priorities critical to the country’s COVID-19 recovery and response efforts.
Additionally, Madeleine has vast political and advocacy experience—having managed communications for gubernatorial races, competitive Congressional races, and national coalitions and organizations.
“Madeleine has rightfully earned a reputation on Capitol Hill as someone who can work across the aisle and bring diverse coalitions together to get big things done. Her political accomplishments, strong relationships with reporters and Senators, and deep strategic communications experience will be a critical addition to our rapidly growing public affairs services,” added Blake Androff, the Chair of Signal’s Public Affairs Practice and a member of the Signal Management Committee. “We are immensely pleased to see Jess and Scott promoted to Executive Vice President, as their leadership to Signal clients is unwavering and steadfast.”
Signal is also proud to announce the promotion of six staff members:
- Jess McCarron is promoted to Executive Vice President. At Signal, Jess leads a broad portfolio of conservation, ocean protection, and renewable energy clients. Previously, she served as Press Secretary and Strategic Communications Advisor for the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow.
- Scott Lusk is promoted to Executive Vice President. At Signal, Scott leads a variety of healthcare, housing, and renewable energy clients, along with Signal marketing. Previously, he worked at Kaiser Permanente, Lockheed Martin, and Marathon Strategies supporting many heavily-regulated industries with reputation management, stakeholder engagement, media relations, and crisis communications.
- Christine Ryon is promoted to Director of Finance. At Signal, Christine leads the firm’s finances, including health benefits, taxes, and more.
- Meg Fosha is promoted to Senior Associate. At Signal, Meg supports several clients within renewable energy, veteran’s affairs, and sustainability practice areas.
- Claire Zavrel is promoted to Senior Associate. At Signal, Claire supports the government relations team to execute clients’ national security, intelligence, and cybersecurity priorities.
- Jenna Kent is promoted to Operations Associate. At Signal, Jenna supports all operations of the firm, including office management, client events, and the internship program.
Last year, Signal Group celebrated its 20th anniversary and recognized two decades of innovative public affairs partnership with its clients.
About Signal Group
Signal Group offers world-class counsel in modern public affairs. We deliver strategies and solutions driven by strategic advocacy, communications, digital and creative programs. Advising clients across the globe, including industry-leading companies, CEOs, governments, and non-profits, Signal offers tailored strategies for solving high-stakes challenges. We are a unique collection of top practitioners from our fields focused on delivering transformative outcomes for our client partners. For more information, please visit www.signaldc.com.