Obama puts Moran, Pfeiffer in key jobs

by Christi Parsons

Ellen Moran, executive director of EMILY's List, will join Barack Obama's White House as director of communications.

And Dan Pfeiffer, a key Obama communications strategist and sopkesman, will serve as deputy director of communications.

Both announcements came this afternoon, as the transition team made official that Robert Gibbs, a close Obama advisor, will become the familiar face and voice of the administration in the job of press secretary.

Obama called Moran a "talented new addition to our team," and praised Pfeiffer and Gibbs as longtime advisors who will help him "meet the challenges of this defining moment in history."

At EMILY's List, Moran supervises the national staff and charts the overall strategic direction of the organization.

Between two stints with the group, she worked for the AFL-CIO and coordinated its Wal-Mart corporate accountability activities and served in the political department.

In 2004, she took a leave of absence from the AFL-CIO to direct independent expenditures for the Democratic National Committee, where she managed placement of presidential advertising and directed television, radio, mail, and phoning efforts in 20 states.

In 2000, Moran directed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's $50 million issue advocacy campaign. She has managed campaigns for governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. She worked on the national campaign staff of Tom Harkin's 1992 presidential campaign and helped plan both Clinton inaugurals.

A native of Amherst, Massachusetts, she holds a degree in political science and English literature from Wheaton College.

Pfeiffer presently serves as the communications director for the Obama transition team. He began on Obama's presidential campaign in January 2007 as the traveling press secretary before returning to Chicago to manage the press operation as communications director.

Prior to the Obama campaign, Pfeiffer worked as Sen. Evan Bayh's communications director, Sen. Tom Daschle's deputy campaign manager in 2004 and the communications director on Sen. Tim Johnson's reelection in 2002.

He has also worked for the Democratic Governors Association and the Al Gore presidential campaign.

A native of Auburn, Ala., Gibbs has been working with Obama since April 2004, when he served as communications director for his U.S. Senate race.

He held the position of communications director for Obama's presidential campaign until he was named Senior Strategist for Communications and Message during the general election.

Previously, he served as communications director for Sen. Fritz Hollings and worked on Sen. Debbie Stabenow's 2000 Senate campaign. He also served as press secretary for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and worked for Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign.

He lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Mary Catherine, and their five-year-old son, Ethan.