D.C.-area agency updates: National Cherry Blossom Festival chooses LINK, Abbie Sorrendino joins Public Strategies, and Boathouse Group launches social impact practice

The National Cherry Blossom Festival has chosen LINK Strategic Partners to lead public and media relations for the organization.  According to a release, LINK Strategic Partners will provide comprehensive PR services to support the Festival’s mission of celebrating the arrival of spring. “With LINK as our partner, the National Cherry Blossom Festival aims to strengthen its communications strategies and promote the Festival’s cultural and historical significance,” said Diana Mayhew, president and CEO of National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Abbie Sorrendino joins Public Strategies Washington as a principal. A 15-year Capitol Hill veteran, Sorrendino was most recently chief of staff for House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) and is a former longtime aide to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). She’s also a former Obama White House associate and was a staffer on his 2008 presidential campaign reports The Hill.

Boathouse Group launched a social impact practice led by Boathouse DC President Karen Baker. The firm’s portfolio of services also includes advertising, communications, digital acquisition and organic social. The agency is headquartered in Boston and has offices in D.C. and Silicon Valley.