On Monday, Jan. 5, the City of Boston announced that Mayor Marty Walsh’s press secretary, Kate Norton, will be leaving City Hall. Norton will take up the post of vice president of communications for CK Strategies, a political consulting firm that’s worked on campaigns for the likes of Boston City Councilors Ayanna Pressley and Frank Baker.
Norton will be succeeded by newly appointed press secretary Bonnie McGilpin, who recently joined the Walsh administration as deputy press secretary in December. Mayor Walsh also brought on Laura Oggeri as Boston’s chief communications officer on Monday after Lisa Pollack stepped down in May.
In a comment to BostInno, Norton mentioned that the opportunity was simply too good to pass up, as politics and campaigns have long been a passion of hers. She spearheaded Mayor Walsh’s press relations from the early days of his campaign in 2013, through his transitional period and his inaugural year in office.
CK Strategies, Norton said, was also instrumental in helping Mayor Walsh get elected.
“This is a natural time for a transition for me,” Norton told BostInno. “The Mayor has been incredibly supportive and helpful through the transition, and we’ll continue to work together on the political side of things going forward. It’s a great opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited to jump on board with CK Strategies.”
According to CK Strategies, landing Norton allows the firm to broaden its services to include a bolstered public relations and communications strategy, boosting its successful government relations and political consulting offerings.
“I want to congratulate Kate on this opportunity with CK Strategies. Kate joined my campaign in September 2013 during a time of adjustment and change, and immediately had a huge impact on the message that led us to victory,” said Mayor Walsh in a statement. He added,
She was responsible for guiding our communications as I made the transition from candidate to governing as the Mayor. She has deep knowledge and finely-tuned instincts, impressive relationships across Boston, and an incredibly strong work ethic. Chris Keohan has been a friend and trusted advisor for years, and I wish them both the best as they go forward in this new venture.
Norton was nominated for BostInno’s 50 on Fire Media Finalist award in 2014 for her pivotal role in making the Mayor of Boston more accessible to the public, more technologically advanced, and for helping make municipal government operations more transparent to the public. She told us she’ll be pushing for a second nomination, and a win, in her new position.
We’d like to wish Kate our sincerest congratulations and the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
