WASHINGTON, DC—Dan Scandling, a longtime Capitol Hill chief of staff and communications director, and former senior vice president of public affairs for Ogilvy Public Relations, is joining APCO Worldwide as senior director for public affairs. Scandling served as a chief advisor to Representatives Frank Wolf and the late Herb Bateman, Republican members of Congress from Virginia. Prior to his work on the Hill, he served as a public relations officer at the Virginia House Development Authority.

TRENTON, NJ—MWWPR has hired Matthew Malat  as a public affairs director in the firm's Trenton, NJ, office. Prior to joining MWWPR, Malat was the director of government relations for the NJ Chamber of Commerce, concentrating on economic development, budget issues and healthcare.

NEW YORK—Kate Ryan, who has been with UK-based agency Diffusion for more than three years, has been promoted to managing director of the US, where she will oversee all operations. She reports directly to Ivan Ristic, Diffusion's CEO.

NEW YORK—Dukas Linden Public Relations, a financial public relations firm, has promited Zach Leibowitz to executive vice president. Leibowitz manages broadcast media relations for the agency's accounts in both the asset and wealth management and professional services groups.

NEW YORK—Kovert Creative has hired Amanda Hellman to focus on expanding the agency's digital services practice. Hellman joins Kovert from The Barbarian Group, where, as business director, she headed Pepsi’s US digital and social businesses.