Fernando Ferrer Joins Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations as Co-Chairman

NEW YORK, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleishman-Hillard International Communications today announced that Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President and Democratic Nominee for Mayor in New York City, has joined Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations as a Co-Chairman in New York. The move comes as Fleishman-Hillard merged the government relations business units of Mercury Public Affairs and Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations in Washington, D.C., Albany, and New York City under the Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations brand.

In making today's announcement, Paul Johnson, President, Fleishman-Hillard Global Public Affairs said, "We are thrilled to welcome Freddy Ferrer into the Fleishman-Hillard family as we continue to build a bi-partisan, best-in-class government relations operation. Freddy is a class act who knows New York inside and out. His insights into the issues important to all New Yorkers, as well as his knowledge of the key decision-makers and their priorities, will be invaluable to our clients in New York and Washington."

In his new role at FH GR, Ferrer will provide senior counsel to clients and help direct staff, but will not lobby any elected officials. Ferrer will also serve as a member of the Fleishman-Hillard International Advisory Board and as Co-Chairman of FH Hispania(R), a bilingual/bicultural Hispanic communications practice established by Fleishman-Hillard in 2002. FH Hispania(R) is a one-of-a-kind network of more than 30 bilingual Hispanic communications professionals located in 12 cities across the United States.

"One of the top Hispanic leaders in America, Freddy brings 30 years of public policy experience to the Fleishman-Hillard network," added Dave Senay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fleishman-Hillard. "As Co-Chairman of FH Hispania, Freddy will use his deep understanding of the growing Hispanic population to help clients reach into this powerful market, as well as help more Hispanic companies enter the corporate mainstream."

Fleishman-Hillard's International Advisory Board provides clients with advice and counsel from nationally respected figures such as Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of

Representatives; Leon Panetta, former White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton; former U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor; former federal Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Sullivan; David A. Kessler M.D., former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and General Barry R. McCaffrey, former White House Drug Czar and a noted national security and terrorism expert.

Ferrer served as a member of the New York City Council, where he authored key laws making New York a leader in public safety, civil rights and anti-discrimination, including the first Civilian Complaint Review Board Law. During his 14-year tenure as Bronx Borough President, Ferrer designed and oversaw the largest urban rebuilding effort in the country and is nationally recognized as an architect for revitalizing American cities.

In 2001, Ferrer ran a historic campaign for Mayor of New York City, highlighting the issues that affect the lives of each and every New Yorker. In 2005, he won the Democratic Primary for Mayor, becoming the first Latino to ever do so in New York City history. He was recently featured by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer in a campaign ad on Spanish-language television. In addition, Ferrer also served as director of Sterling Bancorp and Sterling National Bank.

Congressman Max Sandlin represented the 1st Congressional District in northeast Texas from 1997 to 2005. Part of the House leadership, Sandlin served as Minority Chief Deputy Whip to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and as a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He was also a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, and served on the Financial Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Sandlin was also a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally moderate Democrats in Congress.

Prior to his service in Congress, Sandlin practiced law in Texas and had a broad-based litigation practice. He was also active in the banking and energy industries. He is a former County Judge and County Court at Law Judge.

Michael McKeon has been a Partner with Mercury Public Affairs since 2003, helping build one of the largest government relations practices in New York State. Prior to joining Mercury, McKeon spent seven years working at the senior levels of government in New York State, including serving as Communications Director for Governor George Pataki (R-NY) from 2001 to 2003.

In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, McKeon worked closely with Governor Pataki to help manage the state's response to the crisis. McKeon later 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. He worked for more than 10 years as a reporter for three New York newspapers, winning several awards for local and political reporting.

In addition to Ferrer, Sandlin, and McKeon, the Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations team has many seasoned members with experience in the legislative, executive, and regulatory branches of government.

The Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations Albany and New York City team includes:

* Thomas Doherty, Partner - A former Deputy Secretary for Appointments for Governor George Pataki, Doherty founded and grew Mercury's government relations practice with McKeon and currently provides senior counsel to the firm's government relations clients. * Mark Streb, Vice President - Former Director of Communications for the New York State Senate Democrats and current Capital Region Coordinator for the 2006 Spitzer for Governor campaign. * Peter Barden, Managing Director - Former Senior Vice President of Public and Governmental Affairs for the New York Power Authority and Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for Governor George Pataki. * Jonathan Greenspun, Managing Director - Former Commissioner of New York City's Community Assistance Unit, appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. * Andre Claridge, Regional Director - Former Director of Legislative Affairs for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. * Matthew Watson, Manager - Former Legislative Director and Press Secretary to Assemblyman Sam Colman (D-NY) and Associate State Director of Advocacy for AARP. * Jennifer Carlson, Manager - Former Deputy Director of Regional Services for the Assembly Republican Conference and Political Director for the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.

The Fleishman-Hillard Government Relations Washington, D.C., team includes:

* John Hishta, Managing Director - Former Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2001 to 2002 and Chief of Staff to two Members of Congress, most recently House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA). * Paul Sweet, Senior Vice President - Former Chief of Staff to Congressman Vic Fazio (D-CA), Director of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Washington office, and senior staffer on the Gore-Lieberman 2000 campaign. * Michael McSherry, Vice President - Former National Republican Senatorial Committee's Deputy Political Director in 2004 and Director of Government Affairs for the Republican National Committee. * Jennifer Thomas, Manager - Former Finance Assistant at the National Republican Congressional Committee and Legislative Assistant for Caremark Rx. * Gregory Stanford, Legislative Assistant - Former legislative staff member for Congressman Jack Metcalf (R-WA) and Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR). About Mercury Public Affairs

Mercury Public Affairs, an affiliate of Fleishman-Hillard with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Austin, and Albany, specializes in high-value public affairs at the intersection of business, government, politics, and media. Our services include: public affairs campaign management, grassroots coalition building and management, public opinion research, advocacy advertising, crisis management, and political consulting. Recently, Mercury acquired Crosslink Strategy Group, a leading grassroots consultancy. Our corporate division provides counsel to some of America's leading companies, including: AT&T, Pfizer, Hilton Hotels, Lockheed Martin, and Sallie Mae, among many others. Our political division has been involved in successful national, state, and local political campaigns throughout the country.

About Fleishman-Hillard

Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's leading public relations firms, has built its reputation by using strategic communications to deliver what its clients value most: meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the performance of their organizations. The firm is widely recognized for excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork, integrity, and personal commitment. Based in St. Louis, the firm operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South Africa, and Latin America through its 80 owned offices. For more information, visit the Fleishman-Hillard Web site at http://www.fleishman.com/.

Fleishman-Hillard is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. . Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, direct and promotional marketing, public relations, and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

For more information, please visit http://www.fhgr.com/.