Kelley McCormick, one of DC’s top communications gurus, has been named partner and chief operating officer of Gibraltar Associates. McCormick will manage clients while focusing on growing the agency and assisting in operations.From the press release:

“We are delighted to have Kelley join the team,” said Eric Bovim, GA’s CEO and co-founder. “With nearly 20 years of agency experience, she is a true agency veteran who knows how to take GA to the next level. With Kelley on board, we are poised to exceed our plans for aggressive growth in corporate communications and consumer marketing.”

McCormick joins GA after nearly nine years at Qorvis Communications, where she most recently served as a partner. Some of her previous clients include Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Feld Entertainment, Scientific American, Bloomberg Businessweek, GQ and World TeamTennis’ Washington Kastles. She has also provided counsel to a number of non-profit organizations including YouthAIDS, Creative Coalition and Earth Conservation Corps.

“I am thrilled to join the GA team. It is a fresh, nimble agency that is entering into a period of intense growth and success,” said McCormick. “I look forward to applying all that I have learned in my 20 years of agency life and putting it towards the continued success of GA.”

McCormick was also recently elected to the Board of the Miss America Organization, where she will work closely with fellow board member, Regina Hopper on developing new initiatives around the MAO mission of empowering young women through education and scholarship.

WHC Insider Washington Caressa Cameron, Gibraltar Associates, Kelley McCormick, Miss America Organization, Qorvis Communications, Regina Hopper

Just in time for its 90th anniversary, the Miss America pageant has signed a deal to get back on network TV. Next year’s competition will air live on ABC on January 15, 2011.

The three-year agreement with ABC comes after the pageant’s nearly six-year absence from network TV due to record low ratings. Since 2004, the pageant had been aired on cable channels CMT and TLC.

Though happy with the deal, Sam Haskell, chairman of the Miss America Organization, declined to discuss the specifics.

“It’s a wonderful deal,” Haskell said to the Associated Press. “It’s much better than any deal we’ve had in the last five years.”

In light of the recent spat between Miss America and Miss USA, Haskell says that this deal will reposition the pageant to separate itself from its competitor, which is owned in a joint venture between Donald Trump and NBC.

“No little girl walks around saying, ‘I want to be Miss USA when I grow up.’ She says, ‘I want to be Miss America,’” said Haskell.

Read more about the agreement in The Washington Post.

abernson News Media ABC, Caressa Cameron, Miss America, Sam Haskell