Meghan Stapleton, daughter of Auburn attorney David Stapleton and his wife, Helene, has been offered a position to help coordinate news media with the Republican presidential campaign.

Newly appointed Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tapped Stapleton for the position. Stapleton is still employed on a part-time basis as special assistant to Palin, working on energy issues.

Stapleton said Friday that she had been working on the congressional campaign for Alaska's lieutenant governor, but as that position was winding down when the state primaries approached, she had time to work on the Republican presidential campaign.

“The McCain-Palin press job will probably require some travel throughout the state,” Meghan said. “I'll have to wait and see what their expectations are. I will have to enlist the help of my parents.” She had in mind her daughter, Isabella Helene, who was born at the end of June 2007.

David Stapleton said that he and Helene were very excited to hear about Meghan's new job.

“The last time that Meghan got any attention here she was on the national news for being run over by a deer,” David Stapleton said. “It was even on Jay Leno.” He was referring to something that happened on Anchorage television when Meghan knelt down next to one of Santa's reindeer during a Christmas filming and the nervous deer bolted right over her, all caught on camera.

Meghan, an Anchorage resident for the past eight years, has worked for two of those years as Palin's press secretary, flying back and forth between Juneau, the capital, and her home. In addition, she was employed by Alaska Communication Systems as Director of Corporate Communications before resigning in November.

She is married to another native Auburnian, Eric Steenburgh, the son of Patricia and the late Thomas Steenburgh, who was a dean and science professor at Cayuga Community College.

Eric owns and runs Rebound Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy and its two clinics in Anchorage.

Meghan grew up in Auburn, graduated from Auburn High School in 1990, and earned a bachelor's degree in American government from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

She worked with the Republican National Committee in 1994 with Jeanie Austin on Capitol Hill for more than two years, working with “Women Who Win,” writing political speeches to assist female candidates as director of scheduling and advance, traveling across the country helping candidates with their campaigns.

After making a career change to work in Thayer Capital Partners, investment bankers, for a couple of years, Meghan took a summer radio broadcast course at Cayuga Community College that triggered her interest in broadcasting. She entered Syracuse University in 1996, earning an M.S. in broadcast journalism.

She began at KTUU Channel 2 News in Anchorage, her third television job, in March 2000. Prior positions were reporter and news anchor in Utica, and in Allentown, Pa.

In Anchorage she received two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and several from the Alaska Press Club, including the Community Service Award.

While Meghan and her husband are thousands of miles away, she said they would be coming to Virginia on Oct. 26 to run in the Marine Corps Marathon and would be visiting Auburn in December.

“We will be home for Christmas,” she said.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net