VENTURA, CA—Outdoor apparel company Patagonia has hired Adam Fetcher as director of global public relations and communications, focusing on product, business, environment, policy, and corporate issues. Fetcher has spent the past six years working as a grassroots organizer for the 2008 Obama Presidential campaign, and previously served as deputy national press secretary for the President’s re-election. Last year, he also helped launch startup communications firm The Incite Agency in Washington, DC, alongside former Obama spokesmen Robert Gibbs and Ben LaBolt.

GLENDORA, CA—Automotive public relations expert Geno Effler has been named vice president of public relations and communications for the National Hot Rod Association. Effler will lead corporate communications, media relations, and public relations for the motorsports sanctioning body. Effler spent the last seven years as vice president, corporate communications at Volvo Cars of North America. He has held roles at companies including Aston Martin North America, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Kia Motors America.

NEW YORK—Rivada Networks, a leading designer, integrator and operator of wireless, interoperable public safety communications networks, has hired Brian Carney as senior vice president for corporate communications. Carney joins Rivada from The Wall Street Journal, where he served on the editorial board and was most recently editorial page editor of the Journal's European edition.

PORT JEFFERSON, NY—CASRO, which represents research firms, has appointed Abby Willman to the new position of director of government and public affairs. She will review, track and report on various government and legislative issues and assess their potential impact on the market, opinion, and social research industry and CASRO member companies. Willman was previously an associate at Berkman Henoch Peterson Peddy & Fenchel, a New York law firm.