Garth van Meter has been hired as legislative director to Rep. John Fleming, R-La. He was legislative director to former Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn. Van Meter was the deputy chief of staff for former Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C. He has also worked for Inglis as legislative director and as a legislative assistant and systems administrator.

John Dunagan has been hired as senior vice president at VOX Global. He was a senior vice president at DDC Advocacy. He also has worked as the co-founder of CrossLink Strategy Group. He has also served as director of public affairs for New York state Sen. Tom Libous. He was vice president at Powell Tate and at Edelman. He was executive director for the Bush-Cheney campaign in Michigan.

Zane Kerby has been appointed president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Agents. Kerby was senior vice president of events, sponsorships and advertising at the Global Business Travel Association. He has also worked as deputy executive director and vice president of business development at the GBTA.

Lauren Wesley Wilson has been hired as a communications strategist and account supervisor at MSL Group. She was communications director to Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. She also has worked as the media booker for Obama for American in Florida. She has also served as the founder of the women’s organization ColorComm: Women of Color in Communications.

Jessica Hood has been hired as vice president at public affairs firm SevenTwenty Strategies. Hood was an account executive at defense technology consulting firm IHS Jane’s. She has worked as a strategic account development director and as director of consulting at Charity Dynamics. She has also worked as a business development manager at Unimarket North America.

Doug Simon has been hired as vice president of campaign strategies at SevenTwenty Strategies. Simon was the state and local affairs manager at the National Restaurant Association. He has worked as a White House liaison in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He also has served as a deputy White House liaison at the Education Department.

The following people have been hired at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan:

Todd A. Lard has joined the state and local tax practice as a partner. Lard was general counsel for the Council On State Taxation. He has worked as counsel at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. He has also worked as manager of tax research and planning at Nextel Communications Inc.

Todd G. Betor has been hired as an associate. Betor was an associate staff member in the transaction advisory services practice at Ernst & Young, a law and lobbying firm. He has worked as associate general counsel at Magellan Resources Group. He has also worked as a summer law clerk at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Saabir S. Kapoor has also been hired as an associate. Kapoor was a senior associate at law and lobbying firm KPMG. He has worked as a judicial extern for superior court Judge Peter J. Bursch and Judge Patrick J. Mahoney. He has also worked as a project consultant in the corporate and securities group at law and lobbying firm Baker & McKenzie.