The Center for Economic Accountability is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan educational and advocacy organization that works nationwide to advance economic opportunity for all by promoting transparency, accountability and free-market-based reform of state and local economic development initiatives.Our vision is of a future where free markets and the rule of law create economic opportunity for all, and in which American state and municipal governments efficiently provide essential public services while forswearing corporate welfare and central planning.As the CEA's president, my writing has been published in major media across the country including The Hill, National Review, Real Clear Policy, City Journal, Daily Caller, Forbes, The American Conservative, Baseball Prospectus, Albany Times-Union, Billings Gazette, Bridge Michigan, Buffalo News, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Des Moines Register, Detroit News, Indianapolis Star, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Newsday, Oakland Press, Providence Journal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nashville Tennessean, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Crain’s Cleveland Business, Crain’s Detroit Business and more.

Senior fellow specializing in state and municipal economic development policy.

Provide strategic and tactical marketing and communications counsel to organizations working to influence public policy. Engagements include messaging development, strategic planning, stakeholder relations, media outreach and content development.Freelance journalist and opinion writer; published bylines include Detroit News, Foundation for Economic Education, Watchdog.org & Think Freely.

Led seven-person marketing and communications team that contributed to notable victories for free-market policies advancing individual liberty. Highlights included nation’s most comprehensive public-sector pension reforms, a landmark deregulatory transportation service provider law that allowed ridesharing services to spread statewide, protection of educational choice in Detroit against politicized local government control and elimination of bonding requirements for victims of civil asset forfeiture.Refocused marketing and communications plans on strategic audiences, improving efficiency in marketing and advertising investment while more effectively influencing the climate of public opinion. Results included rapid and measurable growth in key metrics, including media citations increased more than 250% and Michigan-based returning users to websites up 73% over previous year. Developed and instituted a popular new policy campaign planning model that increased alignment between policy and marketing/communications stakeholders, improving campaign effectiveness.Expanded audience for policy advocacy beyond existing demographics through effective messaging and relationship building. Gained first-ever positive coverage for Mackinac Center policy positions in Detroit’s alt-weekly and African-American papers, progressive blogs and public radio on topics such as corporate welfare, stadium financing and professional licensure reform. Worked with legislative and policy teams to leverage media coverage in bipartisan coalition-building efforts.Member of Mackinac Center’s executive team, with strategic plan oversight for entire organization.

Held primary responsibility for client satisfaction and results. Provided clients with strategy, counsel, implementation, follow-through, reporting and analysis. Member of the Franco leadership team, supporting agency ownership in building and maintaining agency capabilities and culture. Developed, nurtured and led account teams; selected and managed third-party vendors. Provided counsel to account managers and other agency team members, reinforcing best practices and strategic focus. Developed and serviced new accounts to continue agency's sustainable growth.

Led business, nonprofit and organizational accounts for integrated marketing communications agency, increasing client retainer and project spending year-over-year. Developed new retainer and project business. Developed internal procedures and capabilities to update campaign measurement and improve internal and external reporting. Managed team of public relations, social media, interactive development and video production professionals and third-party vendors to deliver state-of-the-art integrated marketing communications results to clients.

Led public relations practice for integrated marketing, advertising and public relations agency. Managed local, regional and national client accounts, including a subsidiary of a publicly-traded company, a national trade association and a statewide human service organization. Planned and executed major events to nationwide media attention, including long-awaited announcement of renovations to regional conference center, relaunch of major sporting venue and joint media event with U.S. Department of Energy announcing “stimulus” funding for client.

Created and managed a public relations and corporate communications function for global apparel manufacturer in full-time onsite contract position, significantly increasing media coverage of company’s products. Served as chief spokesperson to media, including crisis communications situations such as manufacturing plant closures and layoffs. Led well-received redesign and refocusing of company’s internal communications channels and developed effective communications tools for multiple internal business units. Created turnkey media relations tools for retailers to use in their local markets to increase brand awareness and product sell-through. Worked with international executive leadership team, including CEO, to measurably improve internal and external communications results.

As a self-employed public relations/corporate communications consultant, helped small and midsized clients plan and execute public relations and marketing campaigns. Worked regularly on a contract basis with larger PR, marketing and advertising firms to assist them in successfully servicing their clients, bringing capabilities to their teams that did not exist internally.

Managed accounts and worked as part of a team on largest accounts for technology PR agency. Successfully planned and executed media relations activities for major technology brands as to increase sales or improve consumer perceptions. Managed junior team members, including professional development, performance reviews and compensation recommendations. Responsible for strategic and tactical planning, reporting and client contact for media relations, analyst relations, investor communications and other functions. Active in new business development from initial identification and contact through proposal and onboarding process, successfully attracting multiple new clients.

Led public relations, media relations, investor relations, product publicity, governmental affairs, customer communications and internal communications for region’s largest Internet Service Provider, cellular retailer and Competing Local Exchange Carrier, creating significant awareness in key markets. Managed communications for multiple acquisitions and new product launches. Chief media spokesperson for company, interviewed by print, television and radio reporters.

Represented clients for regional public relations agency. Founded and managed Information Technology Practice focusing on information technology clients, bringing in significant technology clients for first time in agency’s history. Managed account teams and assigned responsibilities to team members, active in professional development of junior employees.

Wrote and produced editorial content for weekly health care industry and policy newspaper, covering industry and government. Beats included state government, managed care plans, health technology, Medicaid and Medicare. Credentialed reporter for Michigan State House of Representatives and Michigan State Senate.