Sean Spicer, a veteran of Republican campaigns and Capitol Hill, will be the new communications director at the Republican National Committee, the committee confirmed Thursday.

Spicer, now a partner at Endeavour Global Strategies, most recently handled media and public affairs for the U.S. trade representative under President George W. Bush. He has also managed press relations for the House Republican Conference, the House Budget Committee, the House Government Reform Committee and multiple Members of Congress. He directed incumbent retention at the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2000 election cycle.

In a December column in Roll Call, Spicer gave new Hill staffers advice, including an admonition to make friends with people of both parties and those who don’t work in politics.

“Washington may be ground zero for politics, but not everyone in Washington and certainly not those outside the Beltway live and die by the last and next election,” he wrote. “Having friends who are not involved in politics helps keep your life balanced.”

Spicer replaces Doug Heye, who stepped down at the end of former Chairman Michael Steele’s term in January. He joins new RNC Executive Director Jeff Larson, an experienced Minnesota political operative.