People N Corporate Life N Image-Makers RICHARD A. BLOOM Former White House press secretary Dana Perino is launching her own communica- tions firm, Dana Perino and Co. Perino, whose White House tenure ended when George W. Bush left office, says that the wisdom of another ex-flack guided her transition from the West Wing: “One of the things Marlin Fitzwater told me when I left was that it’s very overwhelming to leave,” she says of a conversation with the onetime presidential spokesman for Ron- ald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. To avoid a post-Pennsylvania Avenue letdown, Perino, 37, took on a heavy workload. She joined the issues-and-crisis group at Burson-Marsteller and became a contributor to Fox News. After years as a spokeswoman, “it was surprising to see I had a lot of opinions of my own,” she jokes. Perino also set up an advisory group for fe- male professionals called Minute Mentor- ing. But there was a downside: Juggling so many projects, Perino found herself work- Chad Mitchell S is a new director of digital advocacy and outreach in the ing long hours, just as she had done at the Washington office of Wal-Mart. Although he will be based in Washington, he White House. “I just bit off a little more than I could chew at the beginning.” will travel periodically to the giant retailer’s Arkansas headquarters. Mitchell Perino sees her new venture as an op- most recently worked for Illumen, which provides technology to facilitate is- portunity to step back from the chaos and sues management and grassroots organizing. Before that, he spent about ensure that she is accomplishing her pro- fessional goals, which include aiding GOP seven years doing grassroots work for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. fundraising and keeping her hand in the A native of Vienna in nearby Fairfax County, Va., Mitchell got his start as an communications world. “I’m trying to re- align my work life so that I can continue intern for hometown Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va. He worked on local and state- to do the type of strategic communica- wide Republican races in Virginia, including the Senate campaigns of Oliver tion work I want to do,” she says. With her North and George Allen, and he also spent some time as an aide in the Gen- knack for performance coaching, Perino wants to help Washington players push eral Assembly. Mitchell, 39, is a Penn State graduate and, not surprisingly, a past communications barriers to get their huge Nittany Lions fan. More surprisingly (for a Washington-area native), he messages across. “Most of the people are confesses to rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. professionals who just need some advice as to how to improve their performance.” Al- Mitchell says he is looking at ways that Wal-Mart can use technology to reach though she is building her new firm from new customers, especially families. “We’re trying to develop the gold standard the ground up, Perino will still maintain a Sara Jerome for what is a corporate, grassroots advocacy program, both online and off-line. role at Burson-Marsteller. — We’re just now dipping our toe into how we can leverage Facebook and some of those social applications,” he says. “We’re thinking of what’s the best way N Consulting Game to do that. Some people are Twitterers, some people are texters, some people After five years of heading the well- are e-mailers. So we’ve got to cover the whole gamut.” —Gregg Sangillo regarded think tank Education Sector, 1/16/10 NATION AL JOURN AL 59 People N Image-Makers four founding partners. Mary Wells, a business management consultant, and Monisha Lozier, an executive head- From S Jake Sargent’s per- hunter, round out the principals. Both spective, life is good. He’s not Wells and Lozier have extensive experi- only pleased about starting a ence in education. Sara Mead, now with the New America LAUREN SANDKUHLER job at APCO Worldwide, he’s Foundation, will join the staff as a senior thrilled that his beloved Wash- associate partner. Rotherham describes ington Capitals are in first place Mead as a “known commodity” and a “high performer,” having worked with her in their division. “I’m a rabid on several other projects. Although the hockey fan,” he says. “Looking location of the group’s office has yet to be toward the new year, [I’m work- determined, its principals are scattered in cities across the country—Boston, San ing] at what I think is the top Francisco, Seattle, and Washington. communications firm in the city, This isn’t Rotherham’s only new un- and the Caps are on top. So dertaking: He’s also partnering with John Bailey at Dutko Worldwide to launch I think it’s going to be a good Education Insider, a subscription-based decade.” Sargent, 35, is now research project that will provide analy- sis and forecasts related to K-12 policy. serving as an APCO vice The for-profit research operation will be president, handling crisis and associated with Whiteboard Advisors, a litigation communications. He most recently worked at the public-affairs firm non-lobbying Dutko affiliate. Loyal fol- lowers of Eduwonk, Rotherham’s popular Brunswick Group. education blog, needn’t worry—it will Sargent, a Washington native, attended the elite Phillips Exeter Academy in continue, he notes. New England, but coming of age in the nation’s capital certainly had a major in- Meanwhile, Education Sector will be- gin a search this spring for Rotherham’s fluence on his career choice. “When I grew up, my mayor was Marion Barry and successor and hopes to have someone my president was Ronald Reagan. There were some interesting characters. aboard by summer. —Eliza Krigman And there were always lively dinner conversations,” he recalls. After graduating Robert Bauer is leaving the Motion from Cornell University, Sargent eventually landed in Sacramento, Calif., as a Picture Association of America to plan speechwriter for GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Writing for the Gover- a birthday party. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library has nator posed unique challenges. “It was a thrill. And it was more difficult than tapped him to be its director of external you’d expect. I mean, he’s used to Hollywood scripts,” he says. “I know one thing affairs, and he will work on the library’s speechwriters try to do is to hear the voice of the person they’re writing for, and centennial celebration, marking a century since the late president’s birth on Febru- that wasn’t a problem. You certainly hear his voice in your head.” When Sargent ary 6, 1911. The project’s objective, Bauer headed back to Washington, he served as deputy communications director for explains, is to promote the library—and Reagan himself—to a younger demo- David Dreier —G.S. then-House Rules Committee Chairman , R-Calif. graphic. “The concept is to try to propel the foundation forward and tell a story co-founder Andy Rotherham, 38, will strophic failure of our education system about Reagan’s life,” he says. depart in March for another new ven- to serve low-income kids is a national With corporate sponsors already se- ture, Bellwether Education Partners. tragedy—and a threat to our way of life.” cured, Bauer, 29, expects a blowout affair. The nonprofit will assist organizations, Before co-founding Education Sector, He wants the celebration to highlight Rea- individuals, and public-sector entities Rotherham launched and ran the Progres- gan’s optimism: “He looked at the world that are focused on improving outcomes sive Policy Institute’s 21st Century Schools as full of opportunity,” he says. Bauer, for low-income students. “It’s a dual-val- Project. He also served as a special assis- who has been boning up on the Reagan ue proposition,” he says. “Bellwether will tant to the president for domestic policy legend by studying the president’s auto- help clients field-build and get their ideas during the Clinton administration. biography, has a personal tie to the Rea- in the marketplace.” Although there are Kim Smith, co-founder of NewSchools gan era: He interned for Reagan’s former countless worthy social causes to sup- Venture Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to deputy chief of staff, Mike Deaver, at the port, Rotherham considers low-income supporting education entrepreneurs, will PR firm Edelman. children the worthiest of all: “The cata- join Rotherham as one of Bellwether’s At the MPAA, Bauer served as the 60 NATION AL JOURN AL 1/16/10 Los Angeles-based director of world- just talk to me—just tell me anything and countries. One summer they ventured wide strategic planning. He landed a job everything you think I need to know,’ ” far north of Oslo, Norway, to experi- at the association by tracking down its she says. At Oversight and Government ence the midnight sun. “We flew in on then-president, Jack Valenti, while still Reform, such preparation can mean a lot; a Wednesday. The sun rose on Thursday a Georgetown University law student. “I the committee investigates issues ranging morning, and it didn’t set again until we approached Jack, résumé in hand, after from ACORN to the financial crisis. drove back south again on the following he finished giving a speech on Capitol She also seeks out cues from notable Wednesday evening.” Hill. I said, ‘My name is Rob Bauer. I’m press secretaries past. “I look to great com- In addition to Nagey, Qorvis has made a law student at Georgetown.