For more than 20 years, Rich Carter has led media relations, external communications and reputation management efforts for several high-profile statewide and federal officials, designing and successfully implementing positive messaging campaigns while strategically traversing the media minefield of the Washington, DC and Illinois press corps. He is currently Government Affairs Director at Cor Strategies. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff/Communications for Illinois Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, Spokesperson for former Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger, and Communications Director for former U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, who also chaired the U.S. House Committee on Small Business. Carter also previously led the Comptroller's 11-member Public Affairs team that provided outreach as the primary liaison between our state's Chief Financial Officer and thousands of local governments, non-profit organizations, business groups, and civic organizations throughout the State of Illinois. Carter is an effective media and public affairs strategist because as a former journalist he knows how reporters and editors think. From 1988 to 1997, he advanced from municipal reporter to political writer to news editor, eventually managing 15 journalists and running the news operation for the Northwest Herald, then a 35,000-circulation daily newspaper in McHenry County, Illinois. He was recognized 10 times for his exceptional news stories by the Associated Press, Illinois Press Association, Suburban Newspapers of America, and National Newspaper Association.