FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2004

Austin, TX — Public Strategies announced today that company veteran Mark McKinnon has returned full time to the firm after serving as director of media for the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign. Upon his return, McKinnon was named vice chairman of the Austin-based public affairs firm he helped build over the past 12 years. In addition, Public Strategies announced four new hires.

"I am happy to be home and back at work with this terrific team," said McKinnon. "Public Strategies has such a dynamic environment. We offer a unique approach in a highly competitive industry, and I'm proud to be here."

As Public Strategies continues to grow and staff its offices nationwide, the firm has brought on additional talent. Bush/Cheney '04 National Finance Director Travis Thomas will be the firm's new managing director for sales beginning January 4, 2005. Thomas worked for President Bush for 10 years in several capacities. Before joining the presidential campaign, Thomas was the director of the Office of Business Liaison at the Department of Commerce. Thomas will be based in Austin.

Two seasoned communications strategists, Jill Bratina and Joe Householder, are new directors in the Washington, D.C. and Houston offices, respectively. Bratina, who most recently served as Governor Jeb Bush's communications director, has broad experience directing strategic communications initiatives in both the public and private sectors. Bratina, prior to working for Governor Bush, was director of media relations for Bridgestone Firestone, Inc. She had previously worked for Ketchum and presidential candidate Senator Bob Dole.

Householder is returning to Houston after serving most recently as communications director for Senator Hillary Clinton. Householder has more than 15 years of political, corporate, and media experience including stints as communications director on two successful campaigns — Iowa Governor Tom Vilsak's successful gubernatorial campaign and Houston Mayor Lee Brown's re-election effort. Householder began his journalism career as a radio reporter and rose to senior reporter and assistant news director for Houston news channel KTRH before embarking on a corporate and political career in 2000.

Jill Angelo will join the firm as a director in the Austin office upon her graduation from the University of Texas School of Law in May 2005. Prior to attending law school, Angelo worked in the White House for presidential advisor Karen Hughes. Angelo was also part of the communications operation for Bush/Cheney 2000.

"This new group has broad experience in directing and implementing strategic initiatives and will bring incredible value to our clients," said McKinnon.

Finally, John Krueger, who has spent the past two years in Austin providing strategic counsel to the firm's global telecommunications client, has been promoted to director and is moving to the Washington, D.C. office. Prior to joining Public Strategies, John spent nearly a decade working with the Texas Legislature, on the staff of Senators Jane Nelson and John Carona, and with lobbyist Randy Erben. His work resulted in state statutory changes to policies and regulations impacting taxation, banking, property rights, utilities, economic development, and other issues.

Public Strategies
Public Strategies manages campaigns around issues affecting business practices. We provide clients with results-oriented strategic consultation in distinct disciplines such as crisis management, long-term communications planning, public opinion research, government relations, media relations, and issue-based advertising.

The largest independent firm of its kind nationwide, Public Strategies' reach is considerable, with more than 200 employees in 20 cities and three countries. Public Strategies was founded in 1988, and is still led by Jack Martin, a 20-year campaign veteran.

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Biographical Information

Travis Thomas
Travis Thomas will join Public Strategies as managing director of business development, starting in January 2005. He will be based in Austin.

Travis has worked for President George W. Bush since 1994. He served as national finance director for the Bush/Cheney '04 campaign, a position he held since May 2003. He was a member of the campaign's senior staff, responsible for the day-to-day coordination and oversight of all fundraising events and initiatives occurring nationwide.

Prior to joining the campaign, Travis served on the senior staff of Secretary Don Evans as the director of the Office of Business Liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Other positions held include associate director of presidential personnel at the White House, deputy national finance director for Bush/Cheney 2000, and deputy finance director of the Governor Bush Committee and Bush's gubernatorial re-election campaign.

Travis, who grew up in Corpus Christi, graduated with a B.A. in government from the University of Texas. Following graduate studies at the University of Maryland in policy sciences, he signed on to help George W. Bush's first campaign for governor.

Joe Householder
Offering more than 15 years of political and media experience, Joe Householder joins Public Strategies as a director in the Houston office.

Joe's most recent work was as Senator Hillary Clinton's communications director. Prior to that, Joe headed public affairs for Varoga Rice & Shalett, a Houston-based public policy firm. He went to Varoga after serving as the communications director for the successful re-election of Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson.

Joe also served as media relations manager for the law firm of Vinson & Elkins. During his association with the legal profession, Vinson & Elkins gave Joe a one-month leave of absence for a high-profile, and successful, stint as press secretary for Houston Mayor Lee Brown during a contentious runoff re-election. His assistance at that crucial time in the campaign is still remembered in Houston political circles.

Joe is also fondly remembered in Houston as a truly fair and balanced radio reporter for Houston's powerhouse news channel, KTRH. Joe spent ten years at KTRH, rising to assistant news director before being recruited to Vinson & Elkins. He spent seven years prior to his KTRH career as a market-climbing broadcast reporter in Birmingham, Alabama and Orlando, Florida.

Jill Bratina
Jill Bratina will join Public Strategies in January 2005 as a director in the Washington, D.C. office. With a background in crisis management and politics, Jill Bratina's public affairs experience has focused on developing and implementing strategic communications plans for elected officials, corporations, and public policy initiatives.

Jill most recently served as communications director for Florida Governor Jeb Bush, where she was a spokesperson for the administration, as well as key strategist for all the governor's priorities, which included overseeing statewide and national media campaigns to raise public awareness of these initiatives. Prior to that, she was the director of public affairs for Bridgestone/Firestone during that company's tire recall. Her responsibilities there included serving as the primary spokesperson, development of the company's public positioning related to the tire recall, and issues management.

Jill also has experience in litigation communications, having been a vice president/account supervisor for Ketchum's litigation communications practice. At Ketchum, she helped manage communications for the Dow Chemical Company during the silicone breast implant litigation and Wyeth-Ayerst during the phen-fen lawsuits. She also worked for Visa, U.S.A during the Department of Justice's high-profile antitrust lawsuit against the company. Jill's work for these clients helped her receive PR Week's "Top 30 under 30" award in 2000. Jill is a graduate of the American University, receiving bachelor of arts degrees in political science and public communications.

Jill Angelo
Jill Angelo will join Public Strategies in September 2005 as a director in the Austin office, after receiving her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in May.

Jill served in the White House as executive assistant to Counselor to the President Karen Hughes, where she managed the day-to-day operations of the counselor's office.
As part of her work, Jill coordinated events and media interviews for President George W. Bush and Mrs. Hughes and facilitated the presidential speech approval process.

Jill began working for then-Governor Bush on his 1998 re-election bid for Texas governor. Jill continued her work with Governor Bush on his 2000 presidential campaign, where she traveled with the governor and managed over 100 national media covering the candidate. In this role, she served as a liaison between senior staff and the traveling press.

Prior to joining the 1998 Bush campaign, Jill worked as a press aide on the successful Heather Wilson for Congress special election campaign in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

John Krueger
John Krueger has spent the past two years providing advice, strategic counsel, and direct lobby assistance in Texas to the firm's global telecommunications client. Prior to joining Public Strategies, John spent nearly a decade working with the Texas Legislature, on the staff of Senators John Carona and Jane Nelson, and working for lobbyist Randy Erben. His work resulted in state statutory changes to policies and regulations impacting taxation, banking, property rights, utilities, economic development, and other issues.

Before moving to Texas, John spent nearly five years on staff of a U.S. senator and as a press secretary to a U.S. congressman.

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