Throughout the past few years, widening political divides have introduced new challenges for public affairs practitioners. These challenges affect how PR pros approach communications for elected officials – from public speeches to everything in between. Learn more about public affairs and the speechwriting process during our conversation with Pete Seat, Bose Public Affairs Group’s vice president of strategic communications, and Jennifer Wagner, founding principal and owner of Mass Ave PR.
We’ll discuss what it’s like to act as a spokesperson for an elected official, speechwriting tips and how to navigate working on behalf of advocacy groups or for advocacy positions.
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As a vice president of strategic communications at Bose Public Affairs Group, Pete leads client accounts from a variety of industries at the local, state and national level utilizing his expertise in public relations, strategic planning, media relations and crisis communications. Pete previously served as the executive director of strategic communications and talent development at the Indiana Republican Party where he oversaw the planning and execution of earned, social and digital media, in addition to serving as a spokesperson for the party and governor in state, regional and national media outlets. |
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Jennifer is a former Indianapolis Star reporter who has previously served as communications director for the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and deputy director of public affairs for National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and the largest nonproliferation program in the world. She served for more than five years as spokesperson for the Indiana Democratic Party and has worked on a number of issue-based and political campaigns, including Freedom Indiana and several K-12 education reform initiatives. She regularly appears on INFocus, a weekly political show that airs on FOX59 and CBS4, and she writes a monthly column for the Forefront section in the Indianapolis Business Journal. |