Howard Opinsky
Howard Opinsky was the national press secretary for U.S. Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) 2000 presidential campaign.
Opinsky has been widely quoted in the media as a spokesman for candidates and causes and as a political strategist commenting on a variety of breaking news events. He has also been a guest lecturer at Harvard,[1] Penn State, and various trade groups to discuss communication, the media, and politics.
Currently, Opinsky is executive vice president[2] at Powell Tate, the Washington, D.C. office of Weber Shandwick. A veteran communication strategist and counselor to CEOs and senior executives, he has helped build, position, and protect some of the world’s best known brands.
Powell Tate
Opinsky leads the corporate and public affairs groups at Powell Tate and is a principle in Weber Shandwick’s global corporate communication practice. In addition to his direct client work, he is responsible for developing new business strategies for crisis, corporate, and public affairs clients across all business sectors.
Opinsky was the primary communication advisor and spokesman for former AIG Chairman and CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg. Mr. Greenberg fought a highly publicized battle to maintain his reputation amid a civil lawsuit from New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer and investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Opinsky provided strategic communication counsel to the Business Roundtable’s Energy Task Force and the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), two CEO-level organizations promoting comprehensive energy reform plans.
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, Opinsky was tapped by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani to advise on communications about the relief effort.
Political career
As national press secretary for Senator McCain’s 2000 presidential bid, Opinsky designed, managed and led the media strategy that came to be known as the “Straight Talk Express.”[3] The landmark strategy rested on open media access to the candidate, operatives, and behind the scenes of the campaign. Opinsky was responsible for the campaign’s media communication and was the primary spokesperson from the campaign’s inception to its final day.
Opinsky has also served as a media strategist and campaign operative for a variety of candidates and political leaders including U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX).
Personal life
He earned a B.A in political communication from The George Washington University. Opinsky lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Colleen Connors, and their two daughters, and golden retriever.