OUR STAFF
Consultants
Peter D. Hart, Senior Counselor
As a senior strategist for TMG, Peter relies on his nearly 30 years experience as one of the leading analysts of public opinion in the United States. At TMG, he advises on crisis communication strategy and research. Since 1971 he has directed Peter D. Hart Research Associates, which has conducted more than 5,000 public opinion surveys that have included interviews with more than two and a half million individuals. As an established leader in survey research, Hart has been the pollster for NBC News and The Wall Street Journal since 1989. In the political realm, he has represented more than 40 U.S. senators and 30 governors, ranging from Hubert Humphrey and Lloyd Bentsen, to Jay Rockefeller and Bill Bradley. Additional focuses on public policy and cultural issues have included work for such clients as the Smithsonian Institution and the Kennedy Center, and in the international realm, studies have been conducted in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The firm also has conducted strategic planning projects for such corporate clients as Time Warner Inc., American Airlines, Chrysler Corporation, Kodak, Microsoft and AT&T. Hart appears frequently on the major television programs that discuss public policy issues, including Meet the Press, The Today Show and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. And, along with Robert Teeter, Hart was selected by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal to conduct all of the public opinion polling for these institutions, which was the first time any outside firm had been retained by a news organization to conduct surveys that bear the name of the sponsoring organization.
Peter Fenn, Senior Counselor
Peter Fenn, a consultant to TMG, is President of the Fenn Communications Group, one of the nation's premier political and public affairs media firms. For 25 years his firm has worked for over 300 campaigns from President to Mayor, and represented a number of Fortune 500 companies. Prior to forming the firm, Peter worked in the political world, serving on the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee and as Washington Chief of Staff for Senator Frank Church. He also founded and was the first Executive Director of the Center for Responsive Politics and served as an adviser and surrogate spokesperson for the Gore and Kerry presidential campaigns. His writing and producing have earned him Pollie Awards from the American Association of Political Consultants, Telly Awards, Summit Awards, Vision Awards and the award from PRNews for the Best Public Service Ad Campaign of 2005. Peter earned a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California. He has a B.A. from Macalester College, where he was President of the Alumni Association and where he is currently a Trustee. He teaches at George Washington's Graduate School of Political Management and appears frequently as a TV commentator on the major networks and on cable news shows. He appears regularly with Pat Buchanan on Saturday mornings on MSNBC.
Rex Repass, Senior Counselor
Rex Repass is a senior counselor to TMG in the areas of public opinion and marketing research. He has significant experience in multivariate research design and analytics, including corporate reputation and brand loyalty studies, market segmentation, and micro-targeting research for companies in the U.S and internationally. In addition to his quantitative research experience, Rex has facilitated more than 1,000 focus group and in-depth interview sessions with consumer and business audiences. Rex has been an entrepreneur and business owner since 1984, and is President of R.L. Repass & Partners, Inc., a full-service market/opinion research firm. He has worked for clients in diverse business categories including medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, regional medical centers, the OEM automotive sector, chemical manufacturers, energy companies, consumer packaged goods, national trade associations, and media organizations. Examples of his client experience include work for Ethicon Endo-Surgery, GlaxoSmithKline, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, General Motors, American Electric Power, Procter & Gamble, American Beverage Association, and The Arizona Republic. He is a member of the American Marketing Association and the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Rex received a Master of Science degree in communications research from the University of Tennessee. He received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Marshall University, and is the recipient of Marshall's W. Page Pitt School of Journalism distinguished alumnus award, and a past member of the University’s Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Dora Leonard, Senior Strategist
Dora is a senior communications professional with 18 years of experience in strategic planning, crisis management, internal and external communications, media relations and marketing. She has worked in senior roles for two of the Washington, DC area's top 20 public relations firms, providing crisis communications counsel to a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations. Her experience also includes eight years directing the public relations and marketing departments of two hospitals. At TMG, Dora is well-known for the sound counsel she offers clients in complex crisis situations, and the advice she provides in the areas of strategic development, spokesperson training and targeted outreach. Dora received her B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in public relations from Georgia Southern University.
Elizabeth Wise, Media Strategist
Elizabeth is a former journalist for The Associated Press, whose assignments included work on the West Coast, covering wars in Africa and finally covering the European Union from the AP's Brussels bureau. She helped launch a Brussels-based, weekly newspaper on European Union policy for The Economist Group, and was the paper's foreign affairs correspondent, specializing in EU trade relations and transatlantic policy. Elizabeth earned her M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University and her B.A. in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania.
Susan Toffler, Senior Media Strategist
After nearly twenty years of booking guests for CNN, ABC News Nightline and Good Morning America, veteran TV producer Susan Toffler brings her incredible rolodex and her booking savvy to TMG as a Senior Media Strategist. Susan has booked current and former world leaders, heads of states and presidents for Bernard Shaw, Ted Koppel, Walter Cronkite and Judy Woodruff. As Senior Washington Booker, she has covered breaking news, Presidential elections, conventions and international summits. She is twice nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for "Best Talk Show," CNN & Company. Susan is high-performance. She knows who the players are and how to get them to play.
Kelly Keane, Media Strategist
Kelly Keane is a consultant for TMG where she spearheads targeted outreach for the media and communications department. She has more than 20 years of experience in public relations, having worked at such media companies as CNN, TIME and People magazine. With a BA from Boston College, Kelly has completed graduate level courses in marketing and public relations at Fordham Business School and American University. In her spare time she enjoys skiing and running after her two young sons.
Stephanie Lowet, Media Strategist
Stephanie Lowet is a consultant for TMG where she spearheads a variety of publicity projects. A graduate of Yale College and Yale School of Management, she has more than 20 years of professional marketing and communications experience, having worked on both the agency and client sides of the business. She has promoted blue chip brands such as Nikon cameras, Smith and Hawken gardening products and Discovery Channel, most recently as VP Media Planning and Partnerships for Discovery Networks. She enjoys biking, reading and cooking with her two children during whatever time she can find.
Maggie Simpson, Senior Strategist
Maggie is a Senior Strategist at TMG, where she oversees strategic communications and media outreach on behalf of the firm's clients. With more than 20 years experience working with the national media, Maggie came to TMG having worked as a news anchor in Tokyo, Larry King's communications manager and as Vice President of Public Relations for CNN's Washington, D.C. Bureau. Maggie loves to travel and has extensive experience living overseas in such countries as Algeria, France, Australia, Japan and Ireland.