Local political junkies should recognize the name of David Ammons, who has covered Washington state politics for The Associated Press since 1971.

Now Dave has a new gig. He'll be the communications director for Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed.

I worked with Dave for five years in the AP's Olympia bureau and can attest to all of the nice things people will say about him as he starts a new career.

He's had a fascinating career with the AP. He met an up-and-coming political operative named Ted Bundy in 1972 and lunched with him occasionally after Bundy took a job with the state Republican Party. (The state of Florida later executed the serial killer.)

"I remember telling people that this charismatic young man was going places," Dave told Stateline.org in 2003. "Little did I know it was going to be the execution chamber."

Dave also covered the Mount St. Helens eruption and infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper. Dave's specialty was politics, and his weekly Ammons on Politics column ran in various Evergreen State newspapers for years.

I wish him all the best in his new gig.

Here's the press release from Reed's office:

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Olympia…David Ammons, dean and president of the Washington Capitol press corps, has been appointed communications director for Secretary of State Sam Reed.

Ammons, 59, is political writer and columnist for The Associated Press, and is one of the country's senior statehouse reporters, with nearly 37 years of experience. For the past five years, he has hosted "Inside Olympia," a weekly newsmaker interview show on TVW, Washington's version of C-SPAN. He has been president of the Capitol Correspondents Association for more than 25 years, and has covered eight governors, presidential elections and annual legislative sessions.

"I have admired David Ammons for many years for his professionalism, fairness, integrity and knowledge," Reed commented. "Since this office has huge challenges ahead in terms of implementing a new state primary system and building the Heritage Center, I'm delighted that a person of his stature and reputation agreed to take this key position in my office," he added.

"My political reporting career has been endlessly fascinating and rewarding, and I've enjoyed working with some exceptionally talented colleagues in bringing state government to readers, listeners and viewers across Washington," Ammons said.

"I'm excited about this new opportunity to work with an agency and a Secretary I've long admired. I particularly look forward to working in fields of longtime interest, such as elections, civics education and heritage projects and our fascinating history."

Ammons succeeds Trova Heffernan, who remains with the office as creative director for the new Heritage Center that will be built on the Capitol Campus in Olympia. The center, which has been approved by the Legislature, will incorporate the State Archives, State Library, and State Historical Society exhibits on the north edge of the campus overlooking Budd Inlet.

“Trova has done an extraordinary job for this office as we implemented a new primary system, saved the State Library, handled the contentious 2004 gubernatorial recount, advocated for the Heritage Center and much more," Reed explained. "I am pleased that she is going to join the Heritage Center's team."

The Secretary of State's Office includes the Elections Division, State Archives, State Library, the oral history project, and the Corporations Division. Reed is the 14th Secretary of State since statehood.

Ammons is a communications and political science graduate of the University of Washington and has lectured at a number of colleges. He is former trustee of the Washington State Historical Society and the state Capital Museum and is active in civic and church activities. His daughter, Jennifer, was law clerk to the chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court and is staff attorney for the Northwest Justice Project in Aberdeen. His son, Jonathan, works for the Public Disclosure Commission.

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