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Michael McKeon is a Partner of Mercury Public Affairs. Prior to joining Mercury, Mr. McKeon served as Governor George Pataki's Director of Communications. In that role, he advised Governor Pataki on major policy and strategic decisions, while developing and overseeing all communications plans. Mr. McKeon served as chief spokesman for the Governor, responding to national, state and local media inquiries on a daily basis, while shaping a pro-active media strategy to promote the Governor's agenda. He was responsible for overseeing the State's crisis communications, including during the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, several major plane crashes and numerous natural disasters. In addition, Mr. McKeon oversaw development of all advertising involving Governor Pataki, scheduled and planned events to further the Governor's goals, and was responsible for the development of all major speeches, including the annual State of the State.Prior to that, Mr. McKeon served as Press Secretary to the Governor, overseeing the daily communication operations of the Governor's office and all state agencies and authorities. He directed more than 100 communications professionals throughout State government to ensure a consistent presentation of the Governor's agenda. Mr. McKeon's efforts to promote the Governor's record and his agenda helped Governor Pataki achieve record-high approval ratings for a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic state.In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. McKeon worked closely with Governor Pataki to help manage the State's response to the crisis. He advised the Governor on every public event and private briefing, including daily meetings with Mayor Rudy Giuliani and city officials, as well as with Bush administration officials. Mr. McKeon also oversaw development and production of highly acclaimed "I Love New York" ads, including an award-winning national spot featuring Governor Pataki and Mayor Giuliani to encourage tourism in New York City just weeks after the attacks. As the Governor's chief liaison on September 11th issues to City Hall and family groups, Mr. McKeon worked closely with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his staff, along with White House senior staff, on the development and production of the ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Recently, Mr. McKeon served as a member of the distinguished panel of judges for the International World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition which selected the memorial for Ground Zero.Mr. McKeon also served as chief spokesman and a top strategist for Governor Pataki's successful 2002 re-election campaign, while also playing a central role in the Governor's 1998 re-election. Those campaigns resulted in the two largest margins of victory for a Republican in New York State history, while the 2002 campaign was praised by a highly respected national media pundit on "Good Morning America" as the best campaign in America that year.Prior to joining the Pataki administration in May 1995, Mr. McKeon worked for more than 10 years as a reporter for three New York newspapers, winning several awards for local and political reporting. A graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, Mr. McKeon has two children and lives in New York City. | 