National Republicans made two additions Wednesday to the party’s 2012 efforts.

Veteran GOP spokesman Kyle Downey was named press secretary for the 2012 Republican National Convention, and the Republican National Committee hired Drew Maloney to serve as external affairs adviser for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Downey has served as communications director for Sen. John Thune (S.D.) since 2004, including his current post at the Senate Republican Conference and previously at the Senate Republican Policy Committee, both of which Thune chaired.

Downey was previously a spokesman for then-Rep. Rob Portman (Ohio), at the House Budget Committee under then-Chairman Jim Nussle (Iowa) and to the House Republican Conference under then-Chairman J.C. Watts (Okla.).

“Kyle Downey is one of our party’s most effective and respected voices, and we couldn’t have found a better, more qualified communications professional to support the convention and our nominee, Mitt Romney,” said William Harris, the convention’s CEO of the Committee on Arrangements.

Maloney stepped down as CEO of Ogilvy Government Relations to take the job at the RNC, where he will work with the policy and legislative affairs teams to coordinate strategy. He has been volunteering for the Romney campaign for more than a year.

A former Congressional staffer, Maloney is a former administrative assistant and legislative director to then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (Texas). He also worked as a legislative director to former Rep. Ed Bryant (Tenn.) and for now-Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), and he has served as an adviser to House, Senate and presidential campaigns.