Thomas A. Bartikoski, APR, Fellow PRSA
Senior Vice President

Since joining the firm in 1983 as director of its public affairs practice, Tom has focused on counseling corporations, government agencies and nonprofit clients to manage crisis and controversy -- avoiding it where possible and managing its potential for negative impacts when it occurs.

Most of these programs involve the integration and management of all aspects of public relations practice, as well as other communications disciplines including: community relations; public education advertising; issues advocacy; opinion research; and government relations strategies.

His major areas of expertise include regulated industries and any business or government activity with a high level of public scrutiny and political accountability. This includes public utilities, economic development activities, government programs at all levels, facility siting, waste management, and other environmentally sensitive businesses.

Tom co-authored a copyrighted issues management system which has been used by corporations in telecommunications, insurance, education services, government, energy and retailing. The system integrates issues monitoring and opinion research to help clients develop communications strategies that build public understanding of complicated policy issues.

Prior to joining the firm, Tom was vice president and director of the public relations practice for a major Twin Cities integrated marketing agency. He has 22 years of public relations counseling experience. Tom graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota.

Tom is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and is active in leadership at all levels. He is a past president of the Minnesota Chapter and served as chair of the Midwest District of PRSA in 1990. He served six years on the Society's national Accreditation Board and was its chair in 1993 and 1994.

He is the first public relations consultant from Minnesota to be inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows recognizing "superior capability as a practitioner." There were fewer than 300 Fellows nationwide, and only two others from Minnesota, at the time of his induction in 1994.

He co-managed a utility campaign which won a 1993 Silver Anvil award from PRSA as the nation's best public affairs program for a service business. He is a charter member of the National Association of Professional Environmental Communicators (NAPEC), and a founding member and director of its Minnesota Chapter.

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