Mark Squier
{{Short description|Media consultant}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Mark Squier
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| occupation = Media consultant
| employer = Purple Strategies
McMahon Squier and Associates
| known_for =Principal partner at Purple Strategies
}}
Mark Squier is an American strategic advisor and media consultant who has worked for Democratic candidates including Howard Dean, Ann Richards, and Robert Weygand. He is a founding partner of the media consulting firm McMahon Squier and Associates and is also a founding partner of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm.
Early life
Mark Squier is the son of media consultant Bob Squier. As a teenager, Squier was introduced to his father's profession when he was hired by his father to carry and transport camera equipment for various political campaigns.{{cite news |url=http://www.campaignsandelections.com/magazine/us-edition/175877/all-in-the-family.thtml |title=All in the Family |author=Shane D'Aprile |date=22 April 2010 |work=Campaigns & Elections |accessdate=8 April 2013}}
Career
= Early political work =
In 1978, Squier worked with his father on Bob Graham's campaign for governor of Florida and was later hired as lead producer at Squier/Eskew Communications, a firm his father helped found.{{cite news |url=http://amchron.soundenterprises.net/articles/view/41853 |title=DNCC names executive producers for 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver |date=2 November 2007 |work=American Chronicle |accessdate=8 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130703110037/http://amchron.soundenterprises.net/articles/view/41853 |archivedate=3 July 2013 }} During his time with his father's firm, Squier produced advertisements for local and national candidates including former Texas Governor Ann Richards,{{cite news |title=Bitter Race in Texas Ends With Richards As Democrats' Pick |author=Robin Toner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/11/us/bitter-race-in-texas-ends-with-richards-as-democrats-pick.html |work=New York Times |date=11 April 1990 |accessdate=9 April 2013}} then-Tennessee Senator Al Gore,{{cite news |title=Spreading the Load |author=Jerry Hagstrom |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SJB-1NG0-000X-70SX&csi=8022&oc=00240&perma=true |work=The National Journal |date=20 October 1990 |accessdate=8 May 2013}} Iowa Senator Tom Harkin{{cite news |title=Tom Harkin: working with working men and women On Politics Today |author1=Jack Germond |author2=Jules Witcover |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/09/13/tom-harkin-working-with-working-men-and-women-on-politics-today/ |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=13 September 1991 |access-date=9 April 2013}} and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.
= McMahon Squier and Associates =
In 1991, Squier left Squier/Eskew Communications and co-founded Trippi McMahon and Squier, a media consulting firm, with Steve McMahon and Joe Trippi. The firm worked on local, national, and international political campaigns including that of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in 1993.{{cite book |author=Dennis W Johnson |title=No Place for Amateurs: How Political Consultants are Reshaping American Democracy |url=https://archive.org/details/noplaceforamateu00john |url-access=registration |quote=Squier. |accessdate=9 April 2013 |year=2001 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=0415957877 |page=[https://archive.org/details/noplaceforamateu00john/page/265 265]}}{{cite news |title=Pins needling Dems popular with GOP crowd |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4N8J-PV00-TWCS-D0KK&csi=145223&oc=00240&perma=true |work=Boston Herald |date=15 May 1994 |accessdate=9 April 2013}} Three years later, the firm produced advertisements for the senatorial campaigns of Ron Wyden of Oregon, Mark Warner of Virginia, and John Kitzhaber's campaign for governor of Oregon.{{cite web |url=http://www3.nationaljournal.com/members/adspotlight/1997/bestof/tms/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629232629/http://www3.nationaljournal.com/members/adspotlight/1997/bestof/tms/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |title=Political Ads |date=10 April 1998 |work=National Journal |accessdate=8 April 2013 }} Also in 1996, Squier worked with Robert Weygand on his successful congressional primary campaign against fellow Democrat Joe Paolino, who had hired Squier's father Bob Squier as a media consultant.{{cite news |url=http://wrnipoliticsblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/costantino-adds-staff-for-mayoral-run/ |title=Costantino adds staff for mayoral run |author=Ian Donnis |date=20 May 2010 |work=Rhode Island's NPR |accessdate=8 April 2013}}
Squier's firm also worked with John Baldacci, including producing advertisements for his 2002 campaign for governor of Maine.{{cite news |title=Ad Watch John Baldacci |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h8RGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2296,1347611&dq=baldacci+and+squier&hl=en |work=Sun Journal |date=9 September 2002 |accessdate=9 April 2013}} In 2004, Squier, along with his partner McMahon, were hired as senior political strategists for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign. The same year, the Media Fund hired Squier's firm to be its lead advertising agency.{{cite news |title=Media Fund's Media Firm |author=Josh Kurtz |url=http://www.rollcall.com/issues/50_25/-6695-1.html |work=Roll Call |date=9 September 2004 |accessdate=9 April 2013}} Two years later, the firm developed advertisements for John Sarbanes' congressional campaign in Maryland.{{cite news |title=What's Your Name? Who's Your Daddy? |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4KND-91C0-00HT-720B&csi=171512&oc=00240&perma=true |work=The National Journal |date=16 August 2006 |accessdate=9 April 2013}}
During the mid-2000s, Squier's firm changed names several times. In 2004, Joe Trippi left the firm, which was then renamed McMahon Squier and Associates.{{cite news |title=People |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4CC8-2BD0-0058-R3J7&csi=338110&oc=00240&perma=true |work=National Journal |date=12 May 2004 |accessdate=25 April 2013}}{{cite news |title=Washington's Movers and Shakers |author=Eliza Newlin |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=3SJB-1V70-000X-753N&csi=8022&oc=00240&perma=true |work=National Journal |date=31 August 1991 |accessdate=25 April 2013}} From 2007 to 2008, John Lapp joined the firm as a partner and the firm's name was changed to McMahon Squier Lapp and Associates.{{cite news |title=Career Track; Lapp dances with McMahon and Squire |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4MRG-9790-TX2R-M389&csi=8295&oc=00240&perma=true |work=National Journal |date=4 January 2007 |accessdate=25 April 2013}} Following Lapp's departure, the firm returned to the name McMahon Squier and Associates.{{cite news |title=2010: The Year of the Obama Effect? |author=Chris Cillizza |author2=Perry Bacon Jr. |url=http://w3.nexis.com/new/docview/getDocForCuiReq?lni=4VFC-WBR0-TW87-N085&csi=8075&oc=00240&perma=true |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=19 January 2009 |accessdate=25 April 2013}}
Other clients of Squier's firm include the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in both 2006 and 2008,{{cite web |url=http://www.purplestrategies.com/people/mark-squier/ |title=Mark Squier |work=purplestrategies.com |publisher=Purple Strategies |accessdate=7 May 2013}} and the House Majority Super PAC in 2012.{{cite web |url=http://projects.wsj.com/super-pacs/#/2012/committees/C00495028 |title=How Much Are Super PACs Spending? |year=2012 |work=The Wall Street Journal |accessdate=30 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503184346/http://projects.wsj.com/super-pacs/#/2012/committees/C00495028 |archive-date=3 May 2013 |url-status=dead }}
= Purple Strategies =
In 2008, Squier became a founding partner at Purple Strategies, a bipartisan communications firm located in Alexandria, Virginia. Other founding partners include Alex Castellanos, Bruce Haynes, and Steve McMahon.{{cite news |title=New Lobby Shop Sees Gold in Going Purple |author=Mary Lu Carnevale |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/01/21/new-lobby-shop-sees-gold-in-going-purple/ |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=21 January 2009 |accessdate=7 May 2013}}{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59220.html |title=Rob Collins, Jim Jordan join Purple Strategies |author=Mike Allen |date=18 July 2011 |work=Politico |accessdate=8 April 2013}} Current and former Purple Strategies clients include BP, Time Warner Cable, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the United States Chamber of Commerce.{{cite news |title=In Negotiations, Corporate Antagonism Goes Public |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/in-negotiations-corporate-antagonism-goes-public/ |work=New York Times |date=25 October 2010 |accessdate=9 April 2013}}{{cite news |title=Washington PR firms cashing in on BP spill |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/washington-cashes-in-on-bp-spi.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226183136/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/06/washington-cashes-in-on-bp-spi.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 26, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=4 June 2010 |accessdate=9 April 2013}}
Other activities
Squier received his master's degree in film from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His thesis film, "The Blue Men", was the recipient of an Emmy and a Student Academy Award in 1990.{{cite news |title=Focus Awards Will Honor Student Films |author=Stephanie Gutmann |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-28-ca-238-story.html
|work=Los Angeles Times |date=28 August 1990 |access-date=9 April 2013}}{{cite news |title=Inside the Beltway |author=John McCaslin |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/26/squiers-id-found-in-womens-restroom/ |work=The Washington Times |date=26 August 2008 |accessdate=9 April 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/winners/winners.pdf |title=Student Film Award Winners |work=oscars.org |publisher=The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |accessdate=10 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229173821/http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/winners/winners.pdf |archivedate=29 February 2012 }}
Squier was a co-executive producer of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.{{cite news |title=Two veteran producers hired to stage '08 DNC |author=Chuck Plunkett |url=http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_7315951 |work=The Denver Post |date=30 October 2007 |accessdate=7 May 2013}}