We at McDowell Jewett Communications are excited to announce that Maura Fitzgerald Downes will join the firm as a senior vice president. Maura has been involved in Connecticut public affairs as a public information officer, public relations consultant, and communications advisor to top elected officials for more than 20 years.

For the last three years Maura has served as Director of Communications for the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). During that time she oversaw all social and traditional media for nearly 40 programs within the DPH and the Commissioner's officer. Her tenure at the DPH included managing the state's response to the Zika virus outbreak, the growing opioid and prescription drug misuse epidemic, and the most severe influenza season since the 2009 flu pandemic.

Prior to her work at the DPH, Maura was the Deputy State Director for U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and in 2010 served as then-Attorney General Blumenthal's Communications Director on his successful Senate campaign. Downes has also worked at private sector public relations firms in the Hartford area and has worked in communications for the Connecticut General Assembly, Attorney General and Secretary of the State.

We're thrilled to have Maura join the team.