Comms Across The Aisle

Wesley Donehue Podcast

🎙️Join us for this week’s episode as we sit down with Katey McCutcheon, former Communications Director for Senator Joe Manchin and current SVP at Firehouse Strategies, for an inside look at messaging strategies that transcend political lines🐘🫏
↪️A Change of Heart: Katey shares her journey into the political world and reveals how she shifted her political views and affiliations through her work in the West Virginia State Senate.
💼Headed Up the Hill: Hear about Katey’s experiences on Capitol Hill and the unique, relentlessly challenging work culture within the House and Senate.
👩🏼‍💻Started From the Bottom: Katey recounts her meandering ascendance from intern to Communications Director on the Hill.
🤝One in the Same: Wesley and Katey discuss how public displays of inter-party disagreement are felt in both major political parties.
🕹️Messaging Maneuvers: Katey discusses the expectations of party leadership messaging in congressional offices and how she had to think outside the box to meet the unique factors of her boss's positioning.
🍪Not So Cookie Cutter: Katey explains the key considerations for Senator Manchin’s Communications team and how the diverse makeup of constituents sometimes conflicted with party expectations.
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Katey McCutcheon is a Senior Vice President at Firehouse Strategies.
Before Firehouse Strategies, she worked at a Washington, D.C.-based communications firm, specializing in communications for corporate, political and advocacy clients. Prior to that, she began her career on Capitol Hill where she specialized in communications for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and, most recently, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. For six years, she helped navigate Senator Manchin through his reelection in 2018, government shutdowns, three Supreme Court confirmations and numerous policy proposals.
Katey is originally from Long Island, New York and grew up in New York, California and Texas. She graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and Political Science.