Tracy Schmaler
Using her decades of experience at the highest levels of journalism and government, including the upper echelons of the Obama administration, Tracy specializes in crisis and issue management and public affairs.
Tracy advises clients on high-profile matters, as well as regulatory, congressional, and civil/criminal investigations. She works with Fortune 100 corporations, leading national trade associations, and advocacy organizations. Her work is a combination of strategy sessions with clients and teammates, as well as engaging with reporters from around the world. Much of her efforts involve working with clients, organizations, and media about changing the criminal legal system for the better. In addition to her role with Kivvit, Tracy is founder of Oxbow, a boutique consulting practice, where she focuses on social justice and crisis-related projects.
Previously, Tracy led the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Justice as senior advisor to Attorney General Eric Holder. She also managed global public affairs for Yahoo! Inc., served as communications director for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was an award-winning journalist, serving as a statehouse and political reporter in New England.
Tracy is from Sunderland, Vermont, and now lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Education
- B.A. in mass communications with a minor in philosophy, Emerson College
Boards
- Member, board of directors for the Student Press Law Center, a national legal assistance agency that supports high school and college news media in covering important issues free from censorship
- Member, board of directors of Ivymount Corporation, a nationally recognized school serving people with autism and special needs
Awards
- Named one of National Journal's Top Staffers on Capitol Hill (2007)
- Recipient of the Edmund J. Randolph Award, the U.S. Department of Justice's highest award