Nancy is Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications at ML Strategies. She has a wide-ranging practice that includes reputation management, strategic public relations consulting, media training, community relations, and litigation support.

Experience

Her expertise is in the area of crisis communications, where she has counseled clients in both the private and public sectors. Clients have ranged from Fortune 500 companies to individuals in need of comprehensive and immediate PR services. Nancy has handled controversies surrounding criminal and civil charges, employee accidents and deaths, sexual harassment and abuse, financial improprieties, and labor and employment issues, including strikes, among others.

As a crisis counselor, Nancy has particular experience in the fields of business, construction and real estate, education, health care, and bankruptcy. She has helped organizations communicate during restructurings, takeovers and buy-outs. Nancy is also an expert at designing crisis communication plans to help organizations avoid crises and effectively manage through them should they occur. She also provides media training for executives to help them effectively navigate national and local print and broadcast media outlets.

Nancy is a member of the following multi-disciplinary practice groups at the firm: Consumer Product Safety, Media Litigation, and Education. Nancy's education practice consists of counseling clients in both secondary and higher education in the area of communications strategy. As a former acting vice president at Boston University, Nancy managed the public relations, marketing, new media, and related departments for the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. For education clients, her primary focus is in the area of crisis communications and executive compensation issues.

Nancy also has broad experience in proactive public relations, promoting everything from real estate development to food-related products to biotech treatments.

Before joining ML Strategies, Nancy was director of community relations for Mount Auburn Hospital, a Harvard teaching facility. Earlier, she was director of communications/chief spokesperson for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), a 7,000-person transit system. She was also director of informational services and chief spokesperson for the Boston Police Department, where she was a member of the commissioner's policy group.

Nancy began her career as a newswriter for WCVB-TV, Boston (ABC), where she advanced to assignment editor and series/field producer. She held a similar position at the CBS affiliate in Boston before becoming planning editor at WOR-TV in New York City.

An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, Nancy has served as president of the Boston Chapter. She is also a former board member of the Publicity Club of New England and has served on the boards of the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Cambridge Family and Children's Services, and the alumni board of the Boston University College of Communications. She was the first president of the Community Center of Needham and is a current board member as well as a local advisory board member of nonprofit BUILD. She has lectured widely on media and crisis communications and teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Education

B.S. from Boston College, magna cum laude, in three years

M.A. in broadcast journalism from Boston University

Professional & Community Involvement

Member, Public Relations Society of America

Past president, Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Past acting director, Communications at Phillips Academy, Andover

Past president, Community Center of Needham, Inc.

Past board member, Publicity Club of New England

Board member, Needham Lifelong Community Center

Board member, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice

Board member, Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Ethics officer, Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Awards chair, Boston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Member, Alumni Board of the Boston University College

Newsroom

Quoted in State to review merger of Beth Israel, Lahey Health, The Boston Globe (12.12.2017)

Quoted in Grave mockers no longer employed after Internet furor, Cape Cod Times (11.21.2012)

Quoted in Wynn to Make Pitch for a Casino, The Boston Globe (12.13.2012)