NEW YORK — GCI Health has expanded its digital practice with new hires and promotions. New members of the team are group senior VP of paid media Jess Vanner (pictured), who joins after more than 11 years at Real Chemistry, where she established the social media team and led paid media; and group senior VP and US digital team and operations lead Joe Malunda, who joins after leading Edelman’s digital health practice in the West. Other changes include Matthew Graffeo being promoted to the new role of executive VP and global head of digital, giving him oversight of the agency’s digital work for clients worldwide; Kristin Ryan being promoted to executive VP and US head of digital innovation, as which she will lead the creation of custom digital experiences for clients; and elevating Michael Cree to group senior VP and head of global influencer.

WASHINGTON — Veteran communications strategists Tita Freeman and Lenny Alcivar have joined Prologue’s Washington office. Freeman has led communications for Washington trade associations including the Business Roundtable, National Retail Federation and the US Chamber of Commerce. Alcivar has served on numerous presidential and statewide campaigns and was a former administration spokesman under President George W. Bush.

WASHINGTON — Banner Public Affairs has hired Ryan Losak as VP of government relations. Losak joins the firm after spending more than a decade on Capitol Hill, where he most recently worked for Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), focusing on a wide range of issues including appropriations, health care, rural development, education and labor.

WASHINGTON — Invariant has named Susan Lagana a member of its strategic communications and public affairs team, as which she will focus on transportation and infrastructure. Lagana joins Invariant from Brunswick Group, where she supported large-scale mergers in transportation and technology industries. She specializes in crisis and litigation communications as well as strategic communications around leadership transitions, congressional investigations, transportation policy, regulation of emerging technologies and antitrust.

PEPPERCOMM — Peppercomm has hired Marissa Dunn as a senior media strategist. Dunn was most recently at Bloomberg where she worked as a team lead and senior producer. With 20 years of experience, Dunn has worked across the broadcast media industry with roles at Fox News, Fox Business, ABC News and Good Morning America.

WASHINGTON — Glen Echo Group has expanded its team with new hires including Kelsey Besterman, who joins as a director from Proof Strategies; Lauren Gaydos, who joins as a director from NTCA — The Rural Broadband Association, where she was a public relations manager; Kathryn Porter, who joins as a creative project manager after working at agencies in Washington and Dubai; and Kylee Barton, who joins as a senior associate from the World Resources Institute, where she was a communications manager.