Do What You Love . . . Love What You Do!
In 1997, when I launched For The Record, PPA, I built my practice around passions and strengths. I firmly believe, when you do what you love and love what you do, you live a purpose-driven life, make a difference by working on behalf of causes and candidates that you believe in, and in turn, achieve great things.
Follow this link to more photos.
I am a public affairs executive who specializes in strategic communications, fundraising, event planning, and photography for Members of Congress, government, nonprofit organizations, associations, and corporations, in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Region.
In a decades-long career in public affairs and journalism, I have served in senior-level federal government positions including Chief of Staff and District Director for Members of Congress on Capitol Hill; and as a political appointee in communications and professional staff positions for the William J. Clinton Administration at The White House and the Office of the Secretary of Defense at The Pentagon. A former State Government and Political Reporter, I worked for television and radio stations in the Midwest.
During the past 20 years, I have helped more than two dozen clients achieve strategic goals and live up to their organizational missions. As my clients and colleagues will tell you, I work hard, think strategically, and strive for excellence and measurable results. Building lasting relationships with the individuals and organizations with whom I work is a top priority. I am proud to say, long-term clients have chosen me to deliver annual results on their projects for five, 10 and in some cases 15+ years.
My clients benefit from my rich and diverse skills: communications and fundraising strategic planning, marketing, public relations, issue management and analysis, advocacy, managing a team, pitching stories to reporters, producing videos and writing a broad array of promotional materials such as position papers, speeches, talking points, press releases, opinion pieces, public service announcements, newsletters, news magazines, brochures, grants and proposals, direct mail, invitations, and website, blog and social media content. I have built and executed fundraising campaigns and databases that enabled federal political candidates and leadership political action committees to raise nearly 20 million dollars; and I have planned and implemented hundreds of successful gatherings - events as large as the Racine, Wisconsin Air Show (two Air Shows in the early 1990s that showcased the U.S. Army Golden Knights, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels) to conferences, receptions, intimate dinners, and board meetings.
Storytelling, Compelling Writing and Abundant Creativity . . .
Thanks to my background as a television reporter, I employ an elegant, but compelling style and professional, creative approach to each and every word that I write, project that I implement and image that I produce. Storytelling is at the heart of what I do and it sets me apart from the pack.
My storytelling skills are most evident in my photography. I describe my philosophy, approach and background in photography this way:
"Each of us sees the world in a different way. For most of my life, I have been photographing people, places and things. A broad body of my work - my take on the world - has emerged during the past 45 years. I provide a sampling of that work here and on related websites and blogs: portraits, events, musicians, animals, children, architecture, streetscapes, landscapes, and still-life. I am a traditional photographer, preferring black and white, fine art, silver gelatin prints (selenium-toned), but I have learned to thrive in splashes of color in a modern digital darkroom. Black and white photos can be dark, smoldering and mysterious, while color images snap, crackle and pop as they shout "look at me, look at me."
Starting in the early 1990s, I performed my own black and white printing in the Smithsonian Institute's darkroom beneath the Mall in Washington, D.C. (S. Dillon Ripley Center). I worked in the darkroom most weekends for nearly a decade. In addition to printing the old-fashioned way in trays of chemicals, I did my own toning and retouching by hand, usually in batches of 6-10 prints (typically on Ilford Fiber Paper, or Ilford Resin Coated (RC) Paper). Nothing compares with watching a dramatic black and white image appear in a tray of developer.
Well, almost nothing. The advent of the Internet, digital photography, and the digital darkroom has forever changed the face of photography, even for traditionalists like me. It is an exciting time. Archival printers, Adobe Photoshop software, and high quality professional digital cameras are contributing to broadened creative horizons and reduced production time whether you are launching photos for a website, magazine cover, or for a family's living room wall."
Whether photographing an event or a portrait, I partner with my clients to preserve memories with style and quality craftsmanship. Every time I pick up my camera, develop a black and white print, or edit a color image in my digital darkroom, I remind myself: "In photography the sky is the limit. The only limitation is the breadth and depth of one's imagination."
To purchase my fine art and other photographs please visit my portfolio links above; or log in to the client access portal to view your event and portrait images. Learn more about my approach to projects and client deliverables by visiting my extended biography and company profile links below. Non-photography products and work samples are available upon request.
