Former Counselor to President George W. Bush
Dan Bartlett, as the former counselor to President George W. Bush, was responsible for all aspects of strategic communications planning and was involved in the formulation of policy and the implementation of the administration's agenda. He is a senior strategist at the Austin-based public relations firm Public Strategies. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities, Inc., Dan Bartlett speaks from firsthand experience about the current political environment, life in the West Wing, and America's role in the international community.
A Distinguished Resume. During his six and half years at the White House, Bartlett oversaw the White House Press Office and the Offices of Communications, Media Affairs, and Speechwriting. He played a key role in developing and executing the President's domestic and foreign policy agenda, and traveled extensively with President Bush to more than forty countries, participating in high-level talks with heads of state, prime ministers, and government representatives. President Bush relied on Bartlett for his policy judgment, which enabled him to develop successful campaigns to reform public schools, pass major tax relief, and begin diversifying America's sources of energy.
In addition, Bartlett played a lead role in launching a global communications strategy as the U.S. responded to the attacks on September 11, 2001. Specifically, he worked with the Department of Defense to give journalists unprecedented access to the men and women fighting the war and to provide the American people with a unique perspective on the conduct of major military operations. Currently the CEO of Public Strategies, Inc. in Austin, Bartlett helps forward-thinking companies assess public opinion and risk, and develops strategies that positively affect corporate operations, human resources, and legal and financial communications.
A Trusted Adviser. Since 1993 -- when he was twenty-two -- Bartlett has been a valuable aid to Bush, beginning with his work on both successful gubernatorial campaigns. From 1994 to 1998, he worked in the Governor's office as deputy to the policy director, and during the 1998 reelection campaign, he served as issues director. Following this, he served as a senior spokesman and the director of rapid response for the Bush for President campaign in Austin, Texas, work that would eventually lead to the White House.
Currently a commentator for CBS News, Bartlett became the assistant to the president for communications and then vaulted to White House communications director. Before he was appointed communications director, he was deputy assistant to the president and deputy to then-counselor to the president, Karen Hughes. After her retirement, Bartlett assumed the duty and went on to build a bridge of communication between the executive office and the news media.
In addition, in the Spring of 2009, Bartlett will serve as an adjunct professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, teaching the seminar, Public Affairs Media in Politics and Policy.
Texas Monthly magazine once described Bartlett as "the linchpin of the most far-reaching, tough-minded, and technologically advanced government communications operation in history." His colleagues have lauded his belief that the American people deserve to know as much as possible and are capable of taking "the good with the bad." White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten noted, "His title [was] Counselor to the President, but he's been much more than that." Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove added, "Dan is somebody who has a very good relationship with the president that allows him to be shockingly and sincerely direct. There aren't a lot of those."
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Wall Street, Washington, and the New Economic Paradigm. In the wake of the economic crisis and TARP, companies are rethinking their business models to account for new regulations, new tax policies, and the new administration in the White House. Dan Bartlett, former counselor to President George W. Bush, describes and explains the shift in the way the public listens to traditional centers of power, such as government, Wall Street financial experts, and the media. As the public reassesses their decision-making process, companies must adjust to the public in order to maintain a competitive advantage.
Healthcare Strategies in the 21st Century. Former Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett presents the ins and outs of healthcare reform and explains the policy options that are being debated in Washington. As CEO of Public Strategies and a close advisor in the White House, he explains the full range of ramifications of the various policy proposals. With his trademark good humor and storytelling ability, Bartlett clarifies this looming national issue, breaking down the long-term effects comprehensive healthcare reform is likely to have on the overall economy and the political landscape in Washington.
What Change Will Come? The new administration in Washington was swept into office on a promise of change. Predicting what shape these changes will take is a key task for business strategists. With certain reforms forthcoming in the areas of healthcare, energy, finance, and telecommunications, American business will have to operate in a fundamentally different environment. What will the specific nature of that environment be? Which industries will be affected the most? How can businesses stay ahead of the curve and adapt rather than react? Bartlett's viewpoint from the intersections of policy, politics, and communications allows him to understand the context, explain the reasoning, and interpret the rhetoric that comes out of this new Washington, DC.
Reputation Management and the American Public. The economic and political landscapes are not the only changing topographies in America society. With the advent of social networking tools, and their ability to connect more and more people, companies must understand how these new communities operate in order to maintain strong public relations and a healthy bottom line. The rise of greater and greater online interconnectedness means that people are increasingly tuning out old media and the old validators of economic and political opinion. Combined with the ethics and lobbying reform taking place in Washington and the new public ownership of key industries, it is no longer business-as-usual and the old way of influencing policy creation is shifting. Bartlett puts this shift in perspective and explains how it will affect the American business community.
America's Role in the International Community. As chief counsel, Bartlett joined President Bush on more than 40 international trips. Drawing from these experiences, he shares fascinating anecdotes about the intricacies and importance of international relations, the challenges behind the development of foreign policy, and insight into the intersection of America's foreign and domestic agendas.
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