By Kevin McCauley
Burson-Marsteller's Prime Policy Group lobbying and public affairs unit now represents Wal-Mart Stores as the Bentonville, Ark.-based giant positions to deal with the incoming Republican Congress.
PPG chairman Charlie Black spearheads the seven-member team. He is former advisor to the Reagan/Bush 1 White Houses and chief spokesperson for the Republican National Committee.
Black is assisted by Keith Smith, one-time aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Mark Disler, ex-staffer to Utah’s Orrin Hatch; Rich Meade, advisor to ex-Republican House Budget Committee chair Jim Nussle and Gabe Rozsa, who worked for former upstate New York Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert.
PPG has an extensive brief that covers trade, banking, taxation, immigration, healthcare, food safety/labeling, and transportation.
Wal-Mart’s PA staff is led by Leslie Dach, advisor in the Clinton White House and former vice chairman of Edelman. The No. 1 independent PR firm represents Wal-Mart on PA and environmental issues.
The giant retailer also has PR business at GolinHarris, Cohn & Wolfe and Porter Novelli.
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