Winning Strategies Acquires McDonough Public Affairs

NEWARK, N.J. (May 13, 2004) - Winning Strategies Public Relations today announced the acquisition of McDonough Public Affairs, and the appointment of Pete McDonough, Jr., as senior vice president of the Newark-based agency.

McDonough, who served in the cabinet of New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman as director of communications, will specialize in the agency's national accounts in the areas of corporate crisis communications, reputation management, and issues management.

PR Week's 2004 Annual Survey of independently-owned public relations agencies named Winning Strategies as the second-fastest-growing in the United States last year, climbing from 99th largest in 2002 to 28th in 2003. It ranked as the largest such agency in New Jersey.

McDonough has consulted or directed dozens of successful state and federal political campaigns in the United States, and in Eastern Europe, and he remains a media consultant to the U.S. Department of State.

Corporate and government clients have included: General Electric, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, FMC Corp, Allstate Insurance, Public Service Electric and Gas, Cablevision Systems, and Progress Energy.

Jim McQueeny, Winning Strategies' chairman, said the acquisition and McDonough's appointment "addresses our growing client need for a high level of national expertise in the areas of reputation management, issues management, and crisis communications."

"Pete is recognized by his peers and others as an individual who is both a highly experienced and an effective professional in this realm," McQueeny said.

Winning Strategies has offices in metro New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. It was recently awarded a prestigious Pollie Award for "Public Affairs Team of the Year" for its work on behalf of a coalition of national auto insurers by the American Association of Political Consultants. The agency was a finalist for the Public Relations Society of America SABRE Awards, and PR News Platinum PR Awards. In addition, Winning Strategies has won awards from the Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association, International Association of Business Communicators/New Jersey Chapter and Public Relations Society of America/New Jersey Chapter. It is a finalist for the upcoming Public Relations Society of America/New York Big Apple Award in late May.