Judy Smith / President and CEO

jsmith@impactstrategiesllc.com

Judy Smith is a nationally recognized communications, public relations and corporate consultant and attorney with nearly 20 years experience serving clients around the world.  As a founding member, president and CEO of Impact Strategies, she leads the public relations and strategic communications practices for the firm in addition to heading up its crisis communications services.

Judy’s unique combinations of communication, legal and political skills have been strong assets to clients in Washington and abroad.  Her skills have been tested during some of the most historical cases of our time—the Iran Contra investigation, the prosecution of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry for drug possession, the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings, the impeachment of President Clinton, the Chandra Levy investigation, Enron Congressional inquiry, and communications during the Washington, DC sniper case.  She assisted the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization with the recent SARS scare, and during the 2004 Presidential election, she worked with the United States Election Assistance Commission to ensure that there would not be a repeat of the voting problems witnessed in the 2002 Elections.

Beyond the national scene, she has provided media strategies to presidents of nations, and has implemented international communication strategies during the Gulf War.  In addition, she assisted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by providing the country’s leadership with communication services during the War on Terrorism, and has represented several other foreign countries including: Haiti, the Philippines and Zimbabwe.
Judy utilizes her background as a lawyer to serve clients not only as a communications advisor on high profile cases, but also serves as a counselor to some of the nation’s largest, and most highly regarded corporations, trade associations, municipalities and non-profit organizations.  She provides sound strategic advice on a wide variety of communications issues, including strategies for corporate strikes, recalls, lawsuits and other corporate challenges.  She has assisted companies such as BellSouth, Union Pacific, Starwood Hotels, Nextel, Federated Department Stores, United Healthcare and AmeriChoice, as well as the City of Cincinnati, the City of Detroit and Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Prior to Impact Strategies, Ms. Smith was a partner at Weber Merritt & Smith, and Qorvis Communications.  In 1997, Ms. Smith founded and was President of JAS Communications, which represented a number of high profile corporate, sports, entertainment and political clients, most notably Monica Lewinsky and her family during the Clinton impeachment proceedings.

Before launching JAS Communications, she served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at NBC.  She reported directly to the President and CEO and managed over 100 communications employees.  In addition to serving as NBC chief spokesperson for domestic and international programming and business ventures, she helped launched one of the most successful cable TV stations, MSNBC.
Much of Judy’s strength comes from her experience in public service, including years of fast track responsibility in the Washington arena.  In 1991, she was appointed Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Deputy Press Secretary.  She provided communications advice on a wide range of foreign and domestic issues, including welfare reform, health care reform and the budget debate.  Prior to joining the White House, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney and was special counsel to the U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia, where she oversaw legal and communications work on a number of high profile criminal and civil cases.

Additionally, Judy served as Associate Counsel and Deputy Director of Public Information in the Office of the Independent Counsel, Lawrence E. Walsh from 1987 to 1989.  There she managed legal, as well as national and international public information for the Iran Contra prosecution of Oliver North, John Poindexter and several other defendants.

Prior to her legal career, she worked as a writer and public affairs specialist for several publications and private organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from Boston University and graduated from the American University Washington College of Law where she served as Executive Editor of the Law Review.  Judy was the first African American woman to serve on Law Review.

She has received numerous communications and leadership awards and is active in community service.  Most notably, she was a finalist for PR Week Magazine’s 2003 PR Person of the Year Award.