DALLAS: Burson-Marsteller is beefing up in Texas with three key hires, including a political veteran tapped to lead its Austin office.
"The company really considers Texas to be one of its growth markets," said Dallas managing director, Mike Lake.
Going on the payroll today is Russell Keene, who left Kissinger McLarty Associates in Washington, DC to take over the year-vacant Austin GM post.
Keene moved to DC two years ago after directing government relations for Aetna in Dallas.
Glen Orr, an Edelman VP in charge of corporate and brand positioning, and new business, has also switched to Burson. Orr will lead work for Safety-Kleen, a Columbia, SC waste-management company that is going through Chapter 11 and will relocate to Plano, TX this winter.
A high-ranking City of Dallas PIO will join Burson next week to lead Hispanic outreach in Texas. Sarah Lora, a former TV journalist, headed similar efforts for the city.
