Potomac Communications Group

Potomac Communications Group is a Washington D.C. public relations company.

"Helping clients meet their business needs and public policy goals through creative strategies, winning messages and on-target communications", the company's website states.

In April 2004 the Austin Chronicle revealed that one of the creative strategies employed by Potomac is ghostwriting pro-nuclear op-ed columns on behalf of the Nuclear Energy Institute. Chronicle described the effort as "Big Nuke's vast op-ed conspiracy: a decades-long, centrally orchestrated plan to defraud the nation's newspaper readers by misrepresenting the propaganda of one hired atomic gun as the learned musings of disparate academics and other nuclear-industry 'experts.'"

Indian Point
Potomac program manager Matthew Simmons serves as the media contact for the "Independent Safety Evaluation" panel set up by Entergy to investigate its Indian Point nuclear power plant. In the statement announcing the panel, Entergy said it was established to "provide public assurances about the operation and protection of New York's largest nuclear power facility."

Clients

 * AREVA Enterprises, Inc.
 * Air Force Office of Special Investigations
 * American Association for the Advancement of Science
 * American Forest & Paper Association
 * American Petroleum Institute
 * American Society of Microbiology
 * Association For Manufacturing Technology
 * Bechtel Corporation
 * The Brattle Group
 * BWX Technologies, Inc.
 * Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society
 * Construction Specifications Institute *Cross-Sound Cable
 * DC Department of Health
 * Entergy Corporation
 * Environmental Protection Agency
 * FirstEnergy Corporation
 * Foster Wheeler International Corporation
 * George Washington University
 * Healthcare Distribution Management Association
 * Lafarge North America
 * Mellon Financial Corporation
 * National Home Equity Mortgage Association
 * NASA
 * National Energy Technology Laboratory
 * National Science Foundation
 * Navy Seals
 * Nuclear Energy Institute
 * Pepco Energy Services
 * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
 * San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
 * Temple University
 * USEC Inc.
 * Washington Group International
 * Westinghouse Electric Corporation
 * U.S. Army
 * US Coast Guard
 * U.S. Department of Commerce
 * U.S. Department of Energy
 * U.S. Department of Transportation

Personnel
As of April 2008, according to their website:
 * Bill Perkins, Managing Partner: "Former journalist and trade association executive, co-founded PCG in 1981. Focuses on strategic communications planning, positioning, issue management. Special expertise in energy and environment, crisis management and association communications. Past president of the National Brain Research Association, board member of Washington Shakespeare Company."
 * Russ Dawson, Senior Vice President: "Former journalist, association communicator and government official; at EPA he served as Assistant for Communications to Administrator Lee Thomas and directed the agency’s national strategic communications program; heads our environmental practice, including legislative and regulatory policy support campaigns, marketing communications, and our risk communications media training."
 * Mimi Limbach, Senior Vice President: "In 25 years with Westinghouse, managed communications for everything from litigation to marketing and the merger with CBS. Was also VP of Communications for a major consulting firm. At PCG, counsels clients on marketing, positioning, public affairs and crisis communications. Works on energy, technology and international trade issues, close relationships with key media."
 * Leonard S. Greenberger, Vice President: "Covered energy issues as associate editor for Public Utilities Fortnightly. At PCG, counsels trade associations, professional societies, and other clients on public policy advocacy, positioning and branding, media outreach, marketing communications, market research. Past Board Chairman of Broadcasters Child Development Center."
 * Kelly Baker
 * Conor Bernstein
 * Peter Bernstein
 * Amanda Bucher
 * Lauren deFranco
 * Jacqulyn Hampton
 * Andy Hallmark
 * Laura Hermann
 * Lauren Karasek
 * Laurie Leopold
 * Brian Meeley
 * Matthew Simmons

Associates

 * Lou Ann Bradley
 * Jill Collins
 * Laura Van Eperen
 * Nathan Petrillo
 * Rebecca Noah Poynter
 * Marge Wasson

Other

 * Barbara Longsworth, graphic design
 * Ashley Giacofci, graphic design
 * Nora Howe, Vice President, Operations
 * Evette Martin, finance
 * Ernest Butler, administrative / support
 * Chanita Scott, administrative / support

Former staff

 * Ellen Lepper. "Former educator and association manager of technical and environmental programs. Co-founded PCG in 1981. Focuses on strategic marketing programs and issues management with a special emphasis on energy efficiency."

Contact information
1133 20th Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 466-7391 Fax: (202) 429-0365 Email: prhelp AT pcgpr.com Web: http://www.pcgpr.com

SourceWatch resources

 * Entergy
 * Indian Point (Nuclear Power Station)
 * Nuclear Energy Institute

Articles

 * William M. Adler, "Will Shill for Nukes: Decommissioning the nuclear lobby's phony op-ed campaign", The Austin Chronicle, April 16, 2004.