Brookly McLaughlin will soon be looking for work, and her list of references will be tough to beat.
McLaughlin, a graduate of Drake University and Saydel High School near Des Moines, has served as one of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's spokespersons during the biggest financial crisis of the past 75 years. As deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, McLaughlin has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and other media and has traveled with Paulson and other officials to meetings of the world's economic leaders.
As the economy deteriorated, work became more intense. "The last few months have been pretty incredible," McLaughlin said.
Paulson is "very energetic, involved," she said. "It's been a huge benefit for me, to work closely with him these last couple of years."
McLaughlin moved to Washington, D.C., in 1999 after leaving Drake. She worked for the House Financial Services Committee under its chairman, former Rep. Jim Leach, before moving to the Treasury Department five years ago under then-Secretary John Snow.
She had never traveled abroad, except for visits to Canada and Mexico. But she's visited China, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and more than 20 other countries as part of her job.
As a political appointee, McLaughlin will step down Jan. 20 as the Obama administration takes over. She said she'd like to move back to the Midwest and seek PR jobs in Chicago.
"I crave real winters," she said.
Big guns: Ten teams of five to six hunters each killed a total of 98 pheasants Saturday during the 22nd annual Governor's Pheasant Hunt in Carroll County.
Joining Gov. Chet Culver and nine Department of Natural Resources employees were outdoor types who included lawyers, business people and one retired FBI agent, according to the official roster.
The event is expected to raise about $15,000, which will be used by the Carroll County chapter of Pheasants Forever to buy land that will connect two parks where the hunt occurred.
Hunters included three Pioneer Hi-Bred employees, Dave Knau, Bill Belzer and Scott Hedderich. MidAmerican Energy was represented by Steve Ambrose and John Davis; the Iowa Farm Bureau by Mark Salvador and Mark Mincks; Cedar Rapids-based manufacturer Hunter Specialties by Joe Sahm and Jeff Johnson; Montezuma-based firearms retailer Brownells by Matt Buckingham and Kyle Ganley.
Others on the hunt included Hy-Vee's Randy Minke from Fairfield, Cody McKinley of the Iowa Pork Producers, Two Rivers Bank President Darrell Hughes, Pointing Dog Journal writer Larry Brown, Kin Folks BBQ owner Kevin Moreland of Altoona, Barker Co.'s Tom McMahon of Keosauqua, Bob Espeland of Iowa Construction Products, Ron Ambrose of Slumberland Furniture and Coon Rapids' Liz Garst.
Lawyers included Ron Kuntz of Des Moines, Matt Bowles of West Des Moines, Joel Barrows of Bettendorf, Zane Blessum of Winterset and Darrin Eilertson of Minneapolis. The retired FBI agent was Dick Heft of Cedar Rapids.
Spirits sellers: Also on the governor's hunt were Scott Bush and Michael Killmer of Templeton Rye Spirits.
Iowa's whiskey entrepreneurs flew back from a promotional event in Chicago to join the hunt. They're trying to tap into the Chicago market by promoting a connection between Templeton Rye and Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone.
Chicago's Capone, according to Templeton Rye lore, was a big fan of the Iowa-made corn mash and helped distribute it to speakeasies from Denver to Chicago during the 1920s. A few bottles even found their way to Capone's jail cell at Alcatraz, after he was found guilty of tax fraud, according to the Templeton legend.
Buzz can't vouch for any of that, but believes if you're going to create a legend, it may as well be a good one.
Loft delay: Work crews began opening up the ground floor of the former Mitchell Transmission building at 15th and Locust streets a week ago, and neighbors thought Hubbell Realty was finally launching an effort to convert the three-story, 92-year-old building to residential condos.
At least that's what they said they'd do when they bought the building for $800,000 three years ago.
No such luck.
The purpose of the work is to button up the ground floor, which had several showroom- style windows, for better security.
There are no immediate plans to begin work on the $6 million, 31-condo West End Lofts project. "With market conditions the way they are, we're taking our time," said spokesman Jarad Bernstein.
Winner: Meredith Corp. veteran Don Johnson received the John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award last week from the Custom Publishing Council. He's the third recipient of the award since it was established in 2006. Johnson is editor in chief of Meredith Integrated Marketing, which creates magazines for a variety of clients, including Kraft, Chrysler and State Farm.
Birthday: Mary Andringa, Vermeer Manufacturing's president and co-chief executive, will turn 59 on Saturday.
