Alia Faraj-Johnson to Head Hill+Knowlton Strategies’ Tally Office

Alia Faraj-Johnson, managing director of public relations and public affairs at Sachs Media Group, is joining Hill+Knowlton Strategies and will lead the firms Tallahassee office, company officials announced Monday.

A veteran communicator with more than 25 years of experience navigating many of Floridas most complex and important public policy issues, Faraj-Johnson, will serve as a senior vice president. According to Hill+Knowlton's announcement, she will "help direct and grow the firms presence in the state capital and its Florida public affairs practice. She will also work with the companys national and global public affairs, crisis and corporate communications teams to support clients across the United States and overseas."

Said Faraj-Johnson, Joining H+K Strategies is a very natural career progression for me, and I am delighted to become part of such a seasoned and professional team. I am excited about the opportunity to build upon my experiences in Tallahassee and to work on a diverse array of clients and issues, both in Florida and beyond.

Faraj-Johnson will work closely with Ron Bartlett, a senior vice president who heads the firms public affairs practice in Florida, and Bob Lotane, a vice president who also has considerable experience in the state capital.

Alia is one of the most recognized communicators in Tallahassee and a great addition to our team, Harry Costello, general manager and executive vice president in Florida, said. Whether she was managing clients for a public relations agency, acting as a senior government spokesperson, or working in the Capitol Press Corps, Alia has been an outstanding performer every step of her career. She will bring considerable expertise to our clients and to our companys operations in 2014.

Before joining Sachs, she was former Gov. Jeb Bushs press secretary and communications director from 2002 to 2007. In her role as chief spokesperson for Bush, she also managed communications at 18 state agencies, including the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Health, and the Agency for Health Care Administration. From 1988 to 2002, she worked as a television news reporter and as vice president of news operations for Capitol News Service in Tallahassee, covering politics and public policy issues.

Faraj-Johnson's bio describes her as a multiple Emmy Award-winning producer, a 2009 winner of the national PR News Legal PR Award for media relations during litigation or crisis, and a winner of the 2009 Bronze Bulldog Award for best crisis communications. She is currently serving a second term as a gubernatorial appointee on the Florida Elections Commission and is a member of Leadership Florida Class XXVI. Faraj-Johnson holds bachelor of science degrees from Florida State University in political science and psychology.