By Judy Sarasohn
Matt J. Lauer, previously executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy at the State Department, has signed on with Qorvis Communications, which does PR for Saudi Arabia and other clients.
The bipartisan commission, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, was established to analyze the government’s international public relations capabilities. Last year, the commission warned Congress that cultural exchanges and other similar efforts to win over Muslims were “absurdly and dangerously underfunded.”
Qorvis does PR, public affairs, grass-roots and Internet-based campaigns.
Lauer earlier was senior director of media relations at America’s Promise, an advocacy group for children’s issues; served as communications director for the South Carolina Democratic Party; and did press for the successful Senate campaign of John Edwards (D-N.C.), now the Democratic nominee for vice president.
He has learned how popular NBC’s “Today” show host Matt Lauer is.
“I get a lot of fan mail, love letters. . . . [E]verybody at NBC calls me back immediately,” Matt J. said in an interview.
