By: Politico

Harry Wingo: 144,000 Search Results and Counting

As part of Google’s expanding Washington presence, Harry Wingo has joined its D.C. office as policy counsel. He’ll work on a range of Internet issues and encourage energy policies to accelerate the deployment of smart electric grids, utility-scale renewable energy sources and plug-in electric vehicles.

Most recently, Wingo was executive vice president of the Current Group, where he advocated increasing the efficiency, reliability and security of the nation’s electric grids.

He has also been counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee, where he handled hot issues such as the digital television transition, broadband deployment, spectrum management and industry competition. Earlier, he worked at the Federal Communications Commission, serving one year as legal adviser to the wireless telecommunications bureau chief and two years as special counsel to the general counsel.

The Yale Law School grad also worked for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and was a law clerk to federal Judge James Robertson in Washington.

Livingston Makes Responsible Choice

For all those folks who consider Starbucks an example of cold, hard globalization — well, Sandra Taylor has been working to ease that image.

After five years as senior vice president of corporate social responsibility for the coffee empire, Taylor is moving to The Livingston Group as a senior partner.

There, she’ll work in several of the consulting firm’s target areas — corporate social responsibility, congressional oversight and international relations/business development — using the skills she honed at Starbucks, where she led social investment programs for education, health and income generation in the coffee-farming regions of Central America, India and Africa.

Taylor was a Foreign Service officer at the State Department, where she made the contact that would eventually lead to her current job.

“Sandra and I met in Mexico City when we were both diplomats,” said Lauri Fitz-Pegado, a Livingston Group partner. “She is a rare individual whose experience derives from a rich and diverse career path, from diplomacy to development.”

Taylor also was vice president and public affairs director for Eastman Kodak Co. and a legislative aide in the Senate. She’s president of a nonprofit group called Sustainable Business International, as well as co-chairwoman and founder of the American and African Business Women’s Alliance.Let the Task Force Be With You

Patton Boggs is the latest Washington firm making the financial crisis a top priority of its client services.The firm recently created a 30-member task force of senior members from its nine offices to bring legal and economic expertise to its clients.

Charlie Miller, deputy managing partner of the firm, says the task force is not new, per se, because it centralizes what the firm had already been doing.

“We are the No. 1 public policy practice out there,” he said, “and we advise regularly on complex legislative issues and implementation and government contracting — all the things that will surround the establishment of this multidisciplinary task force.”

A Dozen New Partners at Covington & Burling

The top brass at Covington & Burling has elected 12 lawyers partners in the firm — eight from its Washington branch.

John Bies, Steven Fagell, James Garland and Benjamin Razi are associates in the firm’s litigation team. Scott Cunningham and Scott Danzis are moving up in the food and drug field, while Derek Ludwin will concentrate on antitrust issues. Emin Toro is a tax attorney.

“These young and talented new partners are important building blocks for our future,” said Timothy Hester, chairman of the firm’s management committee.

Air America Gains Digital Officer

Michael Bassik will become the new chief digital officer of the liberal Air America Media on Nov. 6.

Bassik helped build the largest online political marketing firm at MSHC Partners, where he was vice president of interactive marketing. In his new position at Air America Media, he’ll focus on the company’s digital strategy.

“The Internet has proven itself the driving force in this year’s presidential election,” Bassik said. “I’m eager to work with the team to make Air America the leading online and mobile destination for entertaining and independent political news and thought.”

— Ariel Alexovich and Jacqueline Klingebiel

Suite Talk is a regular Politico feature that follows career changes, client developments and other movements in the public affairs sector. Please send news items and photos to suitetalk@politico.com.

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