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Mark Squier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mark Squier
OccupationMedia consultant
Employer(s)Purple Strategies
McMahon Squier and Associates
Known forPrincipal partner at Purple Strategies

Mark Squier is an American strategic advisor and media consultant who has worked for Democratic candidates including Howard Dean, Ann Richards, and Robert Weygand. He is a founding partner of the media consulting firm McMahon Squier and Associates and is also a founding partner of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm.

Early life

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Mark Squier is the son of media consultant Bob Squier. As a teenager, Squier was introduced to his father's profession when he was hired by his father to carry and transport camera equipment for various political campaigns.[1]

Career

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Early political work

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In 1978, Squier worked with his father on Bob Graham's campaign for governor of Florida[1] and was later hired as lead producer at Squier/Eskew Communications, a firm his father helped found.[2] During his time with his father's firm, Squier produced advertisements for local and national candidates including former Texas Governor Ann Richards,[3] then-Tennessee Senator Al Gore,[4] Iowa Senator Tom Harkin[5] and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.[2]

McMahon Squier and Associates

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In 1991, Squier left Squier/Eskew Communications and co-founded Trippi McMahon and Squier, a media consulting firm, with Steve McMahon and Joe Trippi. The firm worked on local, national, and international political campaigns including that of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in 1993.[6][7] Three years later, the firm produced advertisements for the senatorial campaigns of Ron Wyden of Oregon, Mark Warner of Virginia, and John Kitzhaber's campaign for governor of Oregon.[6][8] Also in 1996, Squier worked with Robert Weygand on his successful congressional primary campaign against fellow Democrat Joe Paolino, who had hired Squier's father Bob Squier as a media consultant.[1][9]

Squier's firm also worked with John Baldacci, including producing advertisements for his 2002 campaign for governor of Maine.[10] In 2004, Squier, along with his partner McMahon, were hired as senior political strategists for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign.[11] The same year, the Media Fund hired Squier's firm to be its lead advertising agency.[11] Two years later, the firm developed advertisements for John Sarbanes' congressional campaign in Maryland.[12]

During the mid-2000s, Squier's firm changed names several times. In 2004, Joe Trippi left the firm, which was then renamed McMahon Squier and Associates.[13][14] From 2007 to 2008, John Lapp joined the firm as a partner and the firm's name was changed to McMahon Squier Lapp and Associates.[15] Following Lapp's departure, the firm returned to the name McMahon Squier and Associates.[16]

Other clients of Squier's firm include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in both 2006 and 2008,[17] and the House Majority Super PAC in 2012.[18]

Purple Strategies

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In 2008, Squier became a founding partner at Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm located in Alexandria, Virginia. Other founding partners include Alex Castellanos, Bruce Haynes, and Steve McMahon.[19][20] Current and former Purple Strategies clients include BP, Time Warner Cable, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.[21][22]

Other activities

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Squier received his master's degree in film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His thesis film, "The Blue Men", was the recipient of an Emmy and a Student Academy Award in 1990.[23][24][25]

Squier was a co-executive producer of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Shane D'Aprile (22 April 2010). "All in the Family". Campaigns & Elections. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b "DNCC names executive producers for 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver". American Chronicle. 2 November 2007. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  3. ^ Robin Toner (11 April 1990). "Bitter Race in Texas Ends With Richards As Democrats' Pick". New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  4. ^ Jerry Hagstrom (20 October 1990). "Spreading the Load". The National Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  5. ^ Jack Germond; Jules Witcover (13 September 1991). "Tom Harkin: working with working men and women On Politics Today". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  6. ^ a b Dennis W Johnson (2001). No Place for Amateurs: How Political Consultants are Reshaping American Democracy. New York: Routledge. p. 265. ISBN 0415957877. Retrieved 9 April 2013. Squier.
  7. ^ "Pins needling Dems popular with GOP crowd". Boston Herald. 15 May 1994. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Political Ads". National Journal. 10 April 1998. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. ^ Ian Donnis (20 May 2010). "Costantino adds staff for mayoral run". Rhode Island's NPR. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Ad Watch John Baldacci". Sun Journal. 9 September 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  11. ^ a b Josh Kurtz (9 September 2004). "Media Fund's Media Firm". Roll Call. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  12. ^ "What's Your Name? Who's Your Daddy?". The National Journal. 16 August 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  13. ^ "People". National Journal. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  14. ^ Eliza Newlin (31 August 1991). "Washington's Movers and Shakers". National Journal. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Career Track; Lapp dances with McMahon and Squire". National Journal. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  16. ^ Chris Cillizza; Perry Bacon Jr. (19 January 2009). "2010: The Year of the Obama Effect?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  17. ^ "Mark Squier". purplestrategies.com. Purple Strategies. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  18. ^ "How Much Are Super PACs Spending?". The Wall Street Journal. 2012. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  19. ^ Mary Lu Carnevale (21 January 2009). "New Lobby Shop Sees Gold in Going Purple". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  20. ^ Mike Allen (18 July 2011). "Rob Collins, Jim Jordan join Purple Strategies". Politico. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  21. ^ "In Negotiations, Corporate Antagonism Goes Public". New York Times. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  22. ^ "Washington PR firms cashing in on BP spill". The Washington Post. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  23. ^ Stephanie Gutmann (28 August 1990). "Focus Awards Will Honor Student Films". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  24. ^ John McCaslin (26 August 2008). "Inside the Beltway". The Washington Times. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  25. ^ "Student Film Award Winners" (PDF). oscars.org. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  26. ^ Chuck Plunkett (30 October 2007). "Two veteran producers hired to stage '08 DNC". The Denver Post. Retrieved 7 May 2013.