Anthony Coley is set to join communications firm Brunswick Group as a director. Coley was most recently communications director to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass and at the Kennedy-chaired Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Coley starts in his new role in late November, and he's taking a vacation in Costa Rica in the interim. A North Carolina native, Coley got involved in student government while in high school, and he has enjoyed government work ever since. "Government and public service is still a noble profession," he says.

He started his career in politics working on Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign and then he worked for former-Rep. Harold Ford Jr, D-Tenn., and former-Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga. "I'm the only Democrat in America who worked for Zell Miller and Ted Kennedy," he jokes.

Coley also was a spokesperson to New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine in both his senate and governor's offices, and he was promoted to be Corzine's communications director just before Corzine's near fatal car accident made headlines.

Coley earned a "public relations professional of the year award" in New Jersey for his handling of the accident and the one week government shutdown in the state. Outside of work, Coley has been running a lot and he recently lost about 60 pounds.

"I thought losing it was hard, but keeping it off is harder," he says. He will take part in an upcoming 5 K race for the D.C. charity "So Others Might Eat."

Coley is excited about working in the private sector with Brunswick Group, and he likes the firm's public affairs focus. The managing partner of Brunswick Group's D.C. office is Hilary Rosen.