Mary Cheney Joins Navigators' Strategic Communications Practice

January 14, 2008 | 5:12 pm

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Navigators announced that Mary Cheney has joined the firm's Washington, D.C. office as a vice president in the strategic communications practice.

"When you have the opportunity to bring on someone of Mary's caliber and strategic talents, you jump at it," said Phil Anderson, Managing Partner of Navigators. "She adds another dimension of communications expertise that we can offer our clients and we are incredibly lucky to have her."

Cheney has an extensive corporate and political background. Most recently, she was the Vice President for Standards and Practices at AOL, LLC, where she managed the company's priority issues, such as internet privacy, child safety and the use of behavioral targeting in advertising. She also served as the chief of staff for Ted Leonsis, AOL's Vice Chairman.

From 1994-2000, Cheney worked for Coors Brewing Company where she held several issues management and corporate responsibility positions, including Corporate Relations Manager for the gay and lesbian community, Partnership Program Manager for alcohol and environmental issues and Project Manager for corporate and alcohol issues.

Cheney's political experience consists of several campaigns, including the 2000 presidential campaign where she served as the special assistant to the vice presidential nominee, and Bush-Cheney '04 where she led vice presidential operations.

Cheney is also a recognized author. She recently wrote Now It's My Turn, a book about life inside political campaigns.

"I'm thrilled to be part of a firm that provides best-in-class service to their clients," said Cheney. "The ability to join an already impressive group of professionals and use my corporate and political experience to meet client needs was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Cheney joins an esteemed strategic communications practice led by Principal Mike Murphy, former top political strategist to Governors Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jeb Bush and Senator John McCain; Principal Todd Harris, former spokesman and top communications advisor to Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jeb Bush, Sen. John McCain and the National Republican Congressional Committee (currently on leave as communications director for former Senator Fred Thompson's presidential campaign); Principal Rob Stutzman, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a veteran of dozens of California campaigns; Principal Sarah Bascom, former top communications aide to former Florida Senate President Jim King and a long-time Florida political communications strategist; Vice President Eric Shabsis, a land management specialist, former deputy campaign manager for Senator Dianne Feinstein and former policy director to Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn; and Vice President Rhonda Bentz, former Vice President of Public Affairs at Visa, named in 2004 by PR Week as a 'Top 20 In-House Communicator' and a presidential appointee to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Navigators is a full-service issues management firm with offices in Washington, D.C.; Sacramento and Los Angeles, California; and Tallahassee, Florida. Navigators specializes in providing corporate and trade association clients with integrated public affairs campaigns that include lobbying, policy development, strategic communications, and grassroots coalition building to solve difficult public affairs problems. Navigators also has extensive experience in helping industries and companies manage their reputations with lawmakers, opinion elites and the media.