FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Vasile
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Nicole.Vasile@ciab.com
The Council Announces Strategic New Hires &
Internal Promotions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As our member firms grow and evolve, The Council is making investments in talent so that we have the right people on our team to optimize their membership experience. We continue to balance the need to recruit from outside our industry with the importance of developing our people internally, so they can advance in their careers. To that end, we are pleased to share the following key hires and internal promotions:
New Hires
- Valerie Sindal has joined the Marketing & Communications team as Vice President of Digital Strategy and Engagement, reporting to Susan Rushford. Valerie will lead the strategy of data-driven digital communication and marketing programs and campaigns. She joins us from EOS Network Foundation where she served as Digital Marketing Director. She has also worked in Digital Strategy leadership roles for Bartaco, Block.one and Visual Eyez Studio.
- Sarah Talmage has joined the Government Affairs team as Director of Government Affairs, reporting to Joel Kopperud. In this role, she will focus on legislation and regulations impacting Council member firms through strategic communications with lawmakers, regulators and their staff at the federal level. Sarah has spent nearly 7 years working on Capitol Hill, most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Anthony D’Esposito. Prior to working for D’Esposito, Sarah served in various roles for former Congressman Lee Zeldin.
- Ada Pacheco joined earlier this year as Executive Assistant supporting the senior leadership team. Ada previously served as Executive Assistant/Office Manager for the Competitive Carriers Association in D.C. Prior to that, she worked as an immigration paralegal. Ada has extensive experience in executive support including events coordination, operations, and project management.
Internal Promotions
- Nicole Vasile has been promoted to Vice President of Marketing & Communications, still reporting to Susan Rushford. Nicole joined The Council in 2021 as Director of Communications and has gradually expanded her portfolio to include oversight of Marketing initiatives. In her new role, Nicole will have increased involvement in strategic initiatives for The Council, and will play a larger role in the development and execution of Marketing & Communications campaigns promoting Council programing and events.
- James Bolton has been promoted to Government Affairs Specialist, reporting to Blaire Bartlett. In his new role, James will support government affairs activities, oversee department interns, manage coalition efforts and assist with the Legal Counsel Working Group. James joined The Council earlier in 2023 as Government Affairs Intern, tracking and monitoring various legislative efforts and providing overall support to the team.
- Breanna Ross has been promoted to Accounting Associate reporting to Assistant Controller, Andrew Hoffman. In her new role, Breanna will support the Finance & Accounting department with payables processing, accounting and reporting. Breanna interned at The Council in 2016 and again in 2022. She was brought on full-time earlier this year as Facilities and Events Associate.
- William Turner has been promoted to Talent Management Associate, reporting to both Elizabeth McDaid and VP of People & Culture Beth McMahon. In this role, William will support The Council Academy team and internal Culture initiatives, and will assume responsibility for The Council’s summer intern program. William joined The Council as an intern in 2022 and has supported the Leader’s Edge, Marketing & Communications, Government Affairs and Academy teams.
Visit our staff page to learn more about our team.