Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Communications Director Greg Speed is leaving the committee to take a position at an education advocacy organization.

He will be replaced by Bill Burton, currently press secretary for Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Burton will start March 14.

Speed will be the communications director for Communities for Quality Education, a group with close financial ties to the National Education Association.

Speed leaves the DCCC after two years; he began the 2004 cycle as press secretary and took over his current post when Kori Bernards left to take a position with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Prior to joining the DCCC, Speed worked as press secretary to then-Rep. Martin Frost (Texas) from 1999 until 2003. His tenure included handling communications for Democrats’ national redistricting effort, known as IMPAC 2000.

Burton’s addition further strengthens the committee’s ties to both the state of Iowa and former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.).

During the 2004 Democratic presidential primary campaign, Burton served as Iowa communications director for Gephardt, working under now-DCCC Executive Director John Lapp.

Following Gephardt’s defeat in the Iowa caucuses, Burton went on to handle Midwest communications for the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

— Chris Cillizza