AKP Message and Media is now AKP&D Message and Media, to acknowledge newly promoted partner John Del Cecato. He's the adman behind pieces for Freddy Ferrer in 2001, Carl McCall in 2002 and Andrew Cuomo in 2005 2006.

Full statement after the jump.

-- Azi Paybarah

AKP MESSAGE and MEDIA WELCOMES NEW PARTNER

Media Consulting Firm Founder David Axelrod Promotes
New York Director John Del Cecato to Principal

Firm to Change Name to AKP&D Message and Media

(Chicago, IL) ­ Today, AKP Message and Media President David Axelrod named
the company¹s New York director, Manhattan-based John Del Cecato, a partner
in the political media consulting firm Axelrod founded in 1985. The firm
will change its name to AKP&D Message and Media to reflect the addition.

Del Cecato has served as Vice President of AKP since joining the company in
2001. In that role, Del Cecato helped develop strategy, message, and
television advertisements for numerous clients, including Philadelphia Mayor
John Street, Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Barack Obama
(D-IL), the New York Attorney General campaigns of Eliot Spitzer and Andrew
Cuomo, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee¹s 2006
independent expenditure program.

³John has been an invaluable creative and strategic force in our firm and
our campaigns since the day he arrived,² said AKP founder David Axelrod.
³I look forward to collaborating with him on our key campaigns and political
projects in the years to come.²

Prior to his work with Axelrod, Del Cecato served as communications director
for Fernando Ferrer¹s 2001 New York City mayoral bid, spokesman for the DCCC
in the 2000 election cycle, and communications director for the Iowa
Democratic Party during Tom Vilsack¹s successful campaign for Governor in
1998.

Del Cecato joins Axelrod partners John Kupper and David Plouffe in
overseeing the company¹s ongoing political projects. The firm¹s 2007 roster
includes the Philadelphia mayoral bid of Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA),
the re-election campaign of Mayor Richard M. Daley (D-Chicago), and the
presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). Del Cecato is a
graduate of Northwestern University, and began his political career in the
office of then-House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO).

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