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Shop Talk: Return of the Mack

The Mack Crounse Group, a Democratic direct-mail and new-media strategy firm, recently added two veteran strategists, Delana Jones and Scott Remley, to its arsenal. Both are serving as vice presidents.

Jones, who grew up in Arkansas, has worked extensively in New Hampshire, including as field director for Gov. John Lynch, regional director for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and political director of the state Democratic Party. Jones left there to become senior vice president at Struble Eichenbaum Communications, where she served for three years. She joined Mack Crounse after a year as a creative strategist at Stonyfield Farm.

“With a diverse background in electoral politics and corporate communications, Delana has a unique and strategic approach to targeted and direct communications,” Mack Crounse partner Kevin Mack said in a statement.

Remley most recently spent more than four years as a pollster at Benenson Strategy Group, where he handled Members of Congress, Fortune 500 firms, national nonprofits and even local school board elections. He served for the previous three years in the office of then-Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) after serving as research director on his 2004 campaign.

“As a former research director and Sr. Project Manager at BSG polling firm, Scott has the ideal background for mail,” Mack Crounse partner Jim Crounse said in a statement.

Moving to Romneyville

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign has begun building for the general election.

The Huffington Post first reported that Austin Barbour, a Mississippi GOP consultant and nephew to former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, will join the campaign in Boston and serve as deputy to Romney adviser Stuart Stevens.

Politico also reported that two 2008 Romney campaign staffers, Sarah Pompei and Kevin Madden, are back on board with official roles. Pompei, most recently communications director for House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), will serve as deputy communications director for regional press. Madden’s role as an adviser now becomes official.

The New York Times reported several other additions, including Richard Grenell as national security and foreign policy spokesman, Kristy Campbell as deputy communications director for media affairs and Jim Ferguson as a member of the creative team.

The campaign announced the addition of Jeff Randle as senior adviser to Romney’s campaign in California. Randle, who runs a consulting shop, was a senior adviser to Meg Whitman’s unsuccessful 2010 bid for California governor and a deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Pete Wilson.

Allen Picks Up NRCC’s Davis

Former Virginia Gov. George Allen’s Senatorial campaign reached out to Capitol Hill for its latest staff addition, adding someone with policy and political experience.

Emily Davis, a longtime aide to National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas), has joined the campaign as deputy communications director. She served for the past year as director of leadership communications at the NRCC and before that was communications director and a policy aide from 2005 to 2010 in Sessions’ office.

“With an engaging spirit, Emily takes pride in her work, which will communicate our positive, proven solutions to the people of Virginia,” Allen, a former Senator, said in a statement.

Selden Do They Go Out of Stiles

The Iowa Republican Party, which elected A.J. Spiker as its new chairman a month after the presidential caucuses, recently announced the addition of two staff members in preparation for general election campaigns.

Megan Stiles, who most recently was national media coordinator for Rep. Ron Paul’s (Texas) presidential campaign, will serve as communications director. Drew Selden, an Iowa State grad who most recently was a field director for Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential campaign, is now convention director.

Submit campaign staffing news and tips to Shop Talk here.

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