January 19, 2011

Manchin Announces Full Senate Communications Team

Washington, D.C. — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) today announced the appointment of key staff members to his communications team following the recent announcement of Communications Director Emily Bittner, who will lead the department.
 
Senator Manchin named Marni Goldberg as his press secretary in the D.C. office and Katie Longo as press assistant in D.C. Senator Manchin has previously announced that longtime aide Sara Payne Scarbro will serve as both his Deputy State Director and West Virginia Press Secretary.
 
“I am proud to announce an experienced team that is dedicated to serve West Virginians,” Senator Manchin said. “This will be an incredibly strong team, thanks to Emily’s work as a reporter and communications director for the Democratic Governors Association, Sara’s knowledge of West Virginia and Marni and Katie’s Senate experience.”
 
Emily Bittner, Senator Manchin’s Communications Director, most recently served as communications director of the Democratic Governors Association, when the committee significantly outperformed expectations. She was also communications director during the tenure of then-Governor Janet Napolitano. Bittner has strong ties to West Virginia, where her father was a pastor in Teays Valley and she attended elementary and junior high school. She received the state’s prestigious Golden Horseshoe Award. Ms. Bittner graduated in 2002 from Northwestern University with degrees in political science and journalism and was a reporter for several years at The Arizona Republic.
 
Sara Payne Scarbro, a veteran Manchin aide, will serve as Deputy State Director and Press Secretary in the West Virginia office. She joined then-Governor Manchin’s administration in 2005 as deputy press secretary, and in 2009 was promoted to press secretary and then later to communications director. Payne Scarbro graduated from Marshall University in 2003, concentrating in journalism and political science.
 
Marni Goldberg will serve as Senator Manchin’s press secretaryin the Washington D.C. office. Goldberg most recently served as press secretary for U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). Prior to that, she worked as communications director for Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Moore) and deputy communications director for Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Goldberg graduated from Miami University in 2007 with degrees in journalism and political science, and was the editor-in-chief of the Miami Student, the campus newspaper. She has also written for the Chicago Tribune.
 
Katie Longo, Senator Manchin’s press assistant, graduated from Loyola University in Maryland in May 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and writing minor. She worked as a press intern for Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and was later hired as a press and staff assistant. Katie also interned for former Congressman Dan Maffei.
 
Manchin Communications Team Contact Information:
 
Press Department: 202-228-1810, press@manchin.senate.gov
**Point of contact for all media requests
 
Emily Bittner, Communications Director, Emily_Bittner@manchin.senate.gov
 
Marni Goldberg, Press Secretary, Marni_Goldberg@manchin.senate.gov
 
Sara Payne Scarbro, Deputy State Director and Press Secretary, Sara_Payne@manchin.senate.gov
 
Katie Longo, Press Assistant, Katie_Longo@manchin.senate.gov