Washington, D.C.
Director of Public Affairs · Washington, D.C.
For over two decades, I've worked at the intersection of public affairs, crisis communications, and digital strategy. I help organizations reach the right people with the right message before the other side defines the terms.
My work spans advocacy, high-stakes reputation management, statewide and national campaigns, and contract crisis work with top-tier D.C. firms across energy, defense, health care, and finance.
What I Do
Every organization has a story. The race is to tell it first, on the right channels, to the right people, before someone else tells a worse version of it for you.
I build campaigns that connect organizations with the stakeholders and policymakers who shape their future. That means coordinating earned media, digital outreach, grassroots activation, and coalition-building into a single, unified push.
My experience runs from local issue fights to statewide and national campaigns. The lesson is always the same: get your story in the right rooms before the other side does.
High-stakes reputation work requires a different set of skills than day-to-day communications. I've done contract crisis work with top-tier D.C. firms across advocacy, energy, defense, health care, and finance. I know how bad situations move, and how to get ahead of them.
I pair strong writing with fast, hands-on execution. When a story breaks, you don't have time to form a committee.
I manage multi-million-dollar paid media campaigns across Google, programmatic platforms (display and OTT/CTV), and social, including audience building and acquisition at scale. I've also built AI-assisted workflows for communications strategy and content development.
My background also includes donor communications and fundraising for advocacy organizations and nonprofits across the country.
Experience
I've worked across industries, issue areas, and media environments: national advocacy campaigns, high-stakes reputation work, multi-million-dollar digital programs. Here's the track record.
Beyond the Work
I'm an Eric Dezenhall devotee. His books "Glass Jaw" and "Damage Control" are still on my desk. Reputation crises follow predictable patterns. They reward aggressive, clear-eyed responses. That's how I work every high-stakes assignment.
The medium keeps changing. The fundamentals don't. Know your audience. Be clear. Get there first.
When I'm not in the communications trenches, I'm training at Urban Boxing D.C., logging miles with the Northeast Track Club, or serving as a proud "Grambassador" to Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota (2023 & 2025).
I'm also a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan. I'm used to uphill battles.
Get in Touch
Working on a public affairs challenge, a communications campaign, or a crisis you'd rather not name yet? I'd love to hear from you.
mattnaugle@gmail.com