Peter Gartrell Email & Phone Number

Gartrell Public Affairs offers communications, strategy and research services that help big ideas take flight. The firm develops messaging; secures media placements; and drafts speeches, scripts and op-eds for businesses, non-profits, campaigns, and community leaders.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Led oversight work for Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee

Washington D.C.

Managing Projects and People. Led five high-profile congressional investigations, managing staff, scoping document requests, drafting and editing manuscripts, and coordinating public releases. Organize congressional hearings, ensuring the political and policy goals of 12 senators are quickly met. Experienced Communicator. Draft and edit Senator Wyden's public-facing letters, talking points, statements and press releases. Managed crisis response following 2016 train derailment and fire. Pitched and earned coverage in The New York Times, Bloomberg, ProPublica, and Australian Broadcasting Corp., among others. Insulin and Hepatitis C Drug Pricing. Led bipartisan probes that used corporate documents to expose how pharmaceutical companies price therapies and negotiate with payers. The Wall Street Journal described the hepatitis C report as “perhaps the most transparent look ever into pricing decisions in the modern drug business." Opioid Marketing Practices. Oversaw five-year investigation showing how drug firms spent millions of dollars currying favor with tax-exempt organizations that advanced federal, state and medical practice policies favorable to their corporate donors. COVID-19. Organized four hearings on pandemic-related health issues, drafted letters and reports related to PPE shortages and nursing home safety, and provided timely information and data analysis to Senate offices and committees as questions arose. Nursing Home Safety. Drafted and edited 80-page report identifying shortcomings in federal emergency preparedness regulations. The report, released in 2018, led to regulatory changes and renewed public attention to the issue.Data Analysis. Effectively communicate with numbers, building quantitative arguments for policy change with health data, corporate filings, and public documents.

Selected from competitive national applicant pool for fully funded placement on the House Natural Resources Committee. Wrote official correspondence, talking points, hearing questions and floor speeches for U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Democratic members of the Committee. Collaborated with senior staff to complete reports that helped drive the Congressman’s message on a wide range of energy and environmental policy issues.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Wrote concise business stories on tight deadlines for an international energy markets news service utilized by business leaders, analysts and government decision-makers. Covered the Western U.S. coal industry, coal transportation, mine safety, coal export markets and related government agencies. My stories have been cited as evidence in lawsuits, regulatory filings, and studies regarding coal leasing policy and U.S. export markets.

Gillette, Wy

Reporter at daily community newspaper covering the Powder River Basin coal industry, a major local employer that also accounts for 40% of U.S. coal production. Won state press association award for breaking news coverage among large dailies (2008).