Governor Phil Murphy today announced the promotion of three current members of the Governor’s Office communications team and the hiring of two new staffers. The Governor also announced the departure of Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications Dan Bryan, who will leave the Administration effective February 28, 2022.

“Dan Bryan has been a senior member of the Administration since day one, and I am thankful for his unwavering commitment to our mission of making New Jersey stronger and fairer for the working families who call our state home,” said Governor Murphy. “Dan has long served as the Administration’s point person for strategic communications and, more importantly, he has been a friend. I know I am not alone in saying that he will be missed as a member of the Murphy Administration.”

Alexandra Altman, current Deputy Press Secretary and Communications Strategist, will be promoted to Deputy Communications Director, effective February 28, 2022. In her new role, Alex will oversee strategic messaging initiatives to effectively communicate the Governor’s policy priorities and economic agenda, as well as ensure inter-agency coordination. As Deputy Press Secretary, Alex led the communication efforts for key areas of the Governor’s agenda including climate action and clean energy, public health, and First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ initiative. Alex joined the Murphy Administration as Public Information Officer for the New Jersey Department of Corrections before moving to the Governor’s Office in the fall of 2018. Previously, Alex served as Assistant Director for Communications and Media Relations at the Institute for Advanced Study and Head of Communications and Customer Relationship Management at HelloFresh USA. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a master’s degree in Political Science from Oklahoma State University. She currently lives in Montgomery with her husband and two sons.

“Alex Altman has been a critical member of our communications team for over three years, and I am thrilled to have her continue serving the Administration in the new senior role of Deputy Communications Director,” said Governor Murphy. “Alex, along with Mahen, Megan, Christi, Michael, Natalie, and the rest of our communications team, will continue building on our Administration’s commitment to keeping the public well-informed.”

Megan Coyne was recently promoted to Social Media Director. A native of Livingston, she joined the Governor’s Office in 2018, first as a communications intern and later as Digital Assistant and Social Media Manager. She is a graduate of Rutgers University. She currently resides in Jersey City.

Christi Peace will join the Governor’s Office as Deputy Press Secretary on March 14, 2022. She has worked at the Assembly Majority Office since 2019, first as Deputy Press Secretary and then in her current role of Press Secretary. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She currently lives in East Windsor.

Michael Zhadanovsky was recently promoted to Deputy Press Secretary. He first joined the Governor’s communications team in 2018 as a communications intern. Upon his graduation from Rutgers University in May 2019, Michael began working full-time in the Governor’s Office as a Press Assistant. He was promoted to Press Aide in December 2020. He currently lives in Jersey City.

Natalie Hamilton recently joined the communications team as Press Assistant. A recent graduate of the University of Delaware, Natalie previously served as a communications intern for the Governor’s Office and press intern at Murphy for Governor. Natalie was raised in Lambertville, where she currently resides.

The communications team will continue to be led by Communications Director Mahen Gunaratna.