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Work Background
Neely Strategies LLCPrincipal
Apr. 2025Richmond, Virginia, United Stateso Leading boutique strategy firm advising national clients on key strategic and management issues.
o Founding member of Virginia Children’s Partnership, non-profit aiming to reform Virginia’s foster care system
S.I.R. Southeastern Institute of ResearchManaging Partner
Apr. 2022 - Apr. 2025Richmond, Virginia, United Stateso Managing Partner of 60-year-old strategy firm.
o National clients include major corporations, universities and HBCUs, state/local governments, not-for-profits.
Commonwealth of VirginiaChief Communications Officer
Oct. 2019 - Jan. 2022Richmond, Virginia Area• Role: Cabinet-level officer responsible for developing and executing strategic communications for Governor of 12th-largest state (with 8.5 million people, 120,000 state employees, $140 billion budget)
• Achievement: Executed most dramatic reputational turnaround in modern American political history: ‘From Pariah to Powerhouse: Ralph Northam’s Unlikely Rebirth in Virginia’ [NYT], ‘How Ralph Northam came back from the political dead’ [Washington Post] ‘Black Virginians took Ralph Northam Back. Neither Has Forgotten’[NYT], ‘Ralph Northam’s Unprecedented Governorship: After a scandal, the “wounded healer” became a leader of lasting consequence for Virginia’ [Post], and more
• Led statewide communications response to COVID-19, coordinating messaging across Governor’s Cabinet and state agencies
• Led communications for country’s most sweeping progressive agenda (advancing voting rights, clean energy, free community college, early childhood education, ending death penalty, and more) AND unprecedented fiscally conservative agenda (posted record budget surplus, financial reserves, capital investment; protected AAA bond rating; earned ‘best state for business’[CNBC])
• Led team that included Spokespersons, Speechwriters, Photographer, Social Media, liaisons to state agency operations teams
Dominion EnergyDirector of Strategic Communications
Aug. 2016 - Oct. 2019Richmond, Virginia Area• Senior advisor to CEO on business communications, community projects, political activities shaping corporate reputation
• Led executive support, sustainability, and employee relations teams, managing a 10-person team & multimillion-dollar budget • Executed communications strategy to earn public support for successful $13 billion merger with SCANA of South Carolina
• Created first sustainability communications plan for Fortune 250 energy company
• Created national public announcement of first corporate re-branding in 17 years
City of Richmond, VirginiaChief of Staff, Mayor's Office
Aug. 2013 - Jul. 2016Richmond, Virginia• Senior advisor to Mayor of Virginia’s capital city, guiding urban transformation
(‘While you weren’t looking, Richmond… got cool’–@Frommers)
• Hired new Chief Administrative Officer & Police Chief • Responsible for all executing all of Mayor’s strategic, legislative, political, and communications objectives
• Responsible for negotiating policy issues with City Council, and representing Mayor in news media & with business community
• Led creation of Office of Community Wealth Building, a new city agency to combat segregation-era generational poverty
• Hosted the Union Cycliste Internationale World Cycling Championships, returned to the USA for the first time in 30 years
• Executed economic development deal that brought USA’s #10 craft brewer to Richmond
NovartisHead of Executive Communications
Jan. 2012 - Nov. 2012Basel, SwitzerlandWrote key public communications for Chairman Daniel Vasella, CEO Joseph Jimenez, and other executive clients
City University of New YorkAdjunct Lecturer
Jan. 2010 - Dec. 2011New York CityTaught business communications to MBA students at Zicklin School of Business
PfizerSenior Director, Executive Communications & Chief of Staff, Int'l Public Affairs & Policy
Jan. 2004 - Jan. 2011New York City• Chief speechwriter for Chairman & CEO Jeff Kindler
• Managed International Public Affairs & Policy team: hiring, budgeting, setting priorities, and directing teams to support Pfizer’s global business units, R&D, manufacturing, and corporate sites worldwide
• Crafted CEO’s announcement of $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the largest U.S. acquisition in 2009 and the world’s first major M&A deal following the 2008 economic collapse
• Speechwriting clients: Chairman & CEO Jeff Kindler; Vice Chairman Karen Katen (one of Fortune’s ‘10 Most Powerful Women in Business’); Presidents of Worldwide, Latin American, European, & Australian commercial divisions; General Counsel; Chief Compliance Officer; Chief Medical Officer
Office of Gov. Mark Warner & Warner for Governor CampaignChief Speechwriter & Policy Director
Jan. 2000 - Jan. 2004Richmond & Alexandria, Virginia• Executed all aspects of public speaking for “one of America’s top five Governors” (Time magazine)
• Wrote campaign platform for Virginia’s first Democrat elected Governor since 1989 • Executed communications strategy for Virginia’s first tax reform plan in 18 years • Created communications strategy for $1 billion referendum to fund public universities & state parks • Governor’s political liaison for legislative election that earned first Democratic gains since 1977 • Departed state government after 16 legislative sessions, starting as 14-year-old Page in House of Delegates
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