By Judy Sarasohn
Thursday, July 13, 2006; A21

Just don't say she's fishy or that she has good taste like Charlie the Tuna. Anne Forristall Luke is the new president of the United States Tuna Foundation, succeeding David Burney , who retired after 30 years as head of operations.

The foundation represents the canned tuna processors and tuna fishermen.

"I find I've been eating a little more [tuna]," Luke said, gamely answering questions about her tuna preferences. "I like canned tuna. I'm big into working out and fitness. I like it with water. I'm a freak about fat content."

But she diplomatically noted that the oil that some canned tuna is packed in is good for you.

Before joining the tuna folks, Luke was a principal at MGN Inc. , a government relations shop. Earlier, she had worked in the then-Land and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice and worked for then-House member Dennis Eckart (D-Ohio) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Her post as president is a new one for the foundation, whose previous head was an executive director based in California.

Luke said she will be focusing on "reaching out to Congress" and increasing the tuna industry's profile in Washington.

The foundation will be launching "an aggressive" effort to correct what she said was a lot of misinformation floating about regarding mercury and tuna. As part of that effort, it has hired Burson-Marsteller to help with a multiyear public affairs-education effort to reach consumers and environmentalists.

(Early last month, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency reiterated an advisory that pregnant women and young children should eat as much as 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury, including canned light tuna. Albacore, or "white," tuna should be limited to six ounces a week, the advisory said.)

She will also be involved in fisheries, trade and nutrition issues.

Luke said: "This is my first fishing expedition."

Former homeland security secretary Tom Ridge has joined the board of directors of Iridium Satellite.

"Iridium's evolution from a handheld voice service to a full suite of voice and data solutions, from situational awareness to asset tracking to sensor-based applications, has impressed upon me the key role this service can play in our nation and in the world," Ridge said in a statement. "I am looking forward to working alongside the other board members to increase Iridium's support of U.S. government missions."

What Ridge won't be doing, however, is lobbying on behalf of the satellite company, said Dan A. Colussy , chief executive of Iridium.

Colussy said the company was interested in Ridge because of his national perspective as well as his experience as governor of Pennsylvania dealing with state port facilities, airports and large cities.

"He won't be lobbying for us, nor do we have any interest in him doing that," Colussy said. "He brings a tremendous knowledge base" on federal, state and local homeland security needs.

A couple of changes at Public Citizen: Laura MacCleery , who was deputy director of Public Citizen's auto safety group, succeeds Frank Clemente as director of Public Citizen's lobbying arm, Congress Watch. Clemente left earlier this year for Change to Win, the new labor federation whose members split last year from the AFL-CIO. Booth Gunter , who was director of communications at Public Citizen, left to be director of public affairs at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. He was replaced by his deputy, Angela Bradbery .

Tony Jewell , former director of national public relations for the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, has moved over to Burson-Marsteller as a managing director of the communications giant's "strategic team." Earlier, he was deputy assistant secretary of public affairs for policy and strategy at the Department of Health and Human Services under then-secretary Tommy G. Thompson.

Brian Geiger , a former communications director for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and earlier chief of staff for Rep. Lynn C. Woolsey (D-Calif.), is the new deputy director of communications for the Campaign for America's Wilderness.

The Business Software Alliance has added Alexander Shively , who was legislative director for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), as director of government affairs. Shively earlier worked for Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and other lawmakers.

The American Civil Liberties Union has signed on James Tucker as a policy counsel focusing on First Amendment issues. He worked as a consultant to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, served as a trial lawyer at the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and was a partner at the Ogletree Deakins labor and employment law firm.