|
JAMAL SIMMONS is a Principal at the Raben Group, bringing more than 15 years of political and communications experience to the firm's work. He has handled media issues on five continents for the U.S. government, political organizations, non-profits and corporations. He specializes in helping clients solve public relations and strategic issues through the media.
Prior to joining the Raben Group, Mr. Simmons led New Future Communications, which managed public relations and strategic issues for a variety of corporate, non-profit and political clients. He has also been a senior aide to several Democratic political campaigns. Most recently, he was a communications advisor to the Democratic National Committee during the historic 2008 campaign to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. He also served as traveling press secretary to 2004 presidential candidates Senator Bob Graham and General Wesley Clark. During the 2000 presidential campaign, Mr. Simmons managed media relations in 40 states for Vice President Al Gore before spending four weeks in West Palm Beach as a Gore spokesman during the Florida recount.
Mr. Simmons also served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), senior advisor to U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-GA) and as a political appointee in the Clinton Administration under U.S. Trade Representative and Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor. He got his start in politics and communications by managing logistics for dozens of national reporters while traveling with President Bill Clinton during his successful 1992 campaign.
Mr. Simmons has extensive international experience as well. Throughout the Clinton Administration, the White House called upon him to help create and manage public events in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and Asia for both President Clinton and Vice President Gore. He has promoted an internationally telecast charity concert produced by Quincy Jones in Rome, and in 2007 he was a member of Al Gore's Live Earth media team in Hamburg, Germany. A former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he is a 2009 French American Foundation Young Leader and has toured Europe sharing his political expertise with the German Marshall Fund.
Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Mr. Simmons received his B.A degree from Morehouse College and his Master in Public Policy degree from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. His opinions have been featured in major national news outlets, including the New York Times and GQ, and he is a regular writer for Politico. He is also a frequent guest on cable and network news shows analyzing the events of the day.
|
|
|
