Principal/Founding Partner
Evergreen Partners, Inc.
United States
Karen Kessler heads the Evergreen Partners, Incs. communications division, is a leader in the public relations industry and is recognized as the go-to reputation management consultant in the Metropolitan region. For over 20 years, she has provided counsel to private and public companies, high profile individuals and public institutions facing sensitive matters. She sets herself apart with a customized approach that blends fierce advocacy with a personalized and thoughtful style. Her expertise has guided a wide variety of matters, including legal inquiries, personnel misconduct, business practices, political corruption, professional integrity issues, internet and social media fallout, financial industry practices, sports-related controversy and large-scale public investigations. An expert prescriber, communication facilitator and problem-solving facilitator, she adds value to her clients regardless of the situation, issue or crisis they are facing.
General Session: Close up: Chris Christie and the George Washington Bridge
Chris Christie had the highest approval ratings of any Governor in the country. He was a front-runner for the Republican nomination for president, a YouTube sensation and thought by many to be the bright new face for a party that had grown stale, old and outside the mainstream. But closings of two traffic lanes at the George Washington Bridge caused the onetime media darling Christie to find himself at the center of a type of scrutiny he could never have imagined. A Governor heralded as media savvy and after carefully crafting his public image watched as it all seemed to spiral precipitously in the press within days.
Hear from Josh Margolin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist on the front line of covering Christie throughout his career, and Karen Kessler, the most sought after reputation management expert in New Jersey, as this saga continues to unfold. In this presentation, they will provide an in-depth analysis of how the media has covered and investigated the allegations, how those at the center of firestorm responded to the attention, where communication strategies prevailed, and – more importantly – where they have failed.
Josh Margolin is currently leading the coverage of the Christie story for ABC News and Karen Kessler is currently representing one of the principals in this case.
Karen Kessler and Josh Margolin will be co-presenting.