Gretchen Hamel -  Former Guest Speaker at the Leadership Institute

Gretchen Hamel is the Executive Director of Public Notice. At Public Notice, Hamel leads a team of communications and policy experts in their effort to explain complex economic, regulatory, and budget issues to Americans. The team’s campaign, Bankrupting America, has gained significant media attention from local and national television and radio. Gretchen Hamel has been recognized by national and local powerhouses such as HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, CNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, PBS’s To The Contrary, The Washington Post, New York Daily News, Politico, The Hill, Tampa Tribune, foxnews.com, and Fiscal Times.

Gretchen’s opinion pieces have appeared in many publications, including U.S. News & World Report, AOL News, The Detroit News, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Tampa Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Daily Caller and more. She is a weekly economic policy contributor to multiple nationally syndicated radio shows, including The American Advisor and Nothing But Truth.

Before joining Public Notice, Hamel was founder and partner of Endeavour Global Strategies, where she managed the press for Colombia’s first international brand image campaign and worked with multiple other organizations in need of strategic global communications plans.

Hamel has extensive experience working with local, national and global press organizations. Prior to founding Endeavour Global Strategies, Hamel was Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Public and Media Affairs. While there Hamel traveled to 14 different countries, overseeing all media events for the U.S. Trade Representative. Hamel was also a lead player in crafting and conducting the longest-running White House public relations campaign promoting pending free trade agreements (FTAs). She coordinated the communications efforts of six agencies, which resulted in hundreds of positive articles and editorials on the FTAs by domestic and foreign news agencies. Hamel also worked with South Korean and U.S. press outlets on he high profile and controversial negotiations to open the South Korea beef market.

Before joining USTR, Hamel worked for four years on Capitol Hill where she served in various press positions. Hamel managed state-based press outreach, was an adviser on agriculture issues, and successfully executed a communications plan that successfully led to the passage of the toughest identity theft law in U.S. history. She also provided messaging and press guidance for 232 press secretaries, developed and maintained relationships with national media, and managed communications campaigns on tax policy, the renewal of voting rights act, and energy legislation.

In addition to her deep relationships with local, state, national and global media, Hamel has worked with the editorial boards of all the nation’s leading daily newspapers, including The New York Times, LosAngeles Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, and with specialty entertainment and news programs such as Oprah, Lou Dobbs Tonight and 60 Minutes. Her global communications credits include work with BBC, CNBC Asia, and CNN International. .

Hamel has deep roots in agriculture. She is the fourth generation to raise cotton and wheat and operate a cow-calf operation in Southwest Oklahoma. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Oklahoma.

Gretchen Hamel