WASHINGTON, D.C - U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk today introduced staff new to the Office of Public and Media Affairs.
Carol Guthrie is the new Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public and Media Affairs. Guthrie was most recently the Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over U.S. trade policy and other matters. Prior to serving in that capacity for Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Guthrie was Communications Director and speechwriter for U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), also a member of the Finance panel. Before her service in the Senate, Guthrie spent seven years as a television news producer in Washington, DC; Baltimore, Md.; and Birmingham, Ala. Guthrie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Mass Communications and in English literature from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
Deborah (Debbie) Mesloh is the new Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public and Media Affairs. She has 14 years of media relations, public policy, government affairs and political campaign experience in the public and private sectors. She previously served as Spokeswoman for the Presidential Inauguration Committee and Communications Director and Spokeswoman for the Obama for America campaign. She worked as Communications Director for San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris before joining President Obama's campaign.
Mesloh holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Kansas.
Nefeterius Akeli McPherson is the new Senior Media Affairs Liaison. McPherson has 13 years of combined public relations, government affairs, public policy and law related experience and has a diverse work experience in law offices, community organizations and political campaigns. She worked for Ambassador Kirk during his time as Mayor of Dallas, and was Deputy Press Secretary during his 2002 Senate campaign. McPherson received her Bachelor's in English from Southern Methodist University, Master of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas and her Juris Doctor at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Amanda Scott joined the Office of USTR as Public Affairs Assistant after being special assistant to Ambassador Kirk and the USTR Agency Review Team during the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition. Previously, she managed the national blog and constituent blogs as Political Editor in the New Media Department on the Obama for America campaign. Prior to joining the Obama for America campaign, Scott worked as a Communications Specialist for the American Red Cross. Scott graduated from Anderson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Marketing and Public Relations.
Trinh Nguyen has worked at USTR since September 2006, and now serves as Press Assistant. During the Presidential transition phase, Nguyen managed press and public relations components for the agency. She graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and criminal justice. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
