A veteran communications and public relations professional, Mr. Geist most recently was press secretary to Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), chairman of the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, whose office he joined in February 2001. In this position, he helped publicize Rep. LoBiondo's efforts to secure the nation's ports and waterways in the wake of September 11 and the successful enactment of the landmark Maritime Transportation Security Act in 2002.

Mr. Geist has also worked as a senior account executive with Craig Shirley & Associates and as press secretary to Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.). Prior to these positions, he worked for the National Republican Congressional Committee and in statewide and local politics in New Jersey. In 1998, he was named a "Rising Star of Politics" by Campaigns & Elections magazine.

Mr. Geist earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Drew University in Madison, N.J.