User:Rmccoy1234/Avakian Consulting3

Avakian Consulting is a consulting firm that has been in existence for the past 27 years. Avakian Consulting specializes in public policy, community research & engagement, municipal funding campaigns, and public relations. Since 1981, Avakian Consulting has serviced its clients’ needs and developed strategies that have helped win BILLIONS in local funding campaigns on their behalf.

The company consists of Steve Avakian (President & Outreach Strategist), Joel Gagne (Partner & Outreach Strategist) and Carole Dorn-Bell (Outreach Strategist) and has offices in Boston, MA and Dayton, OH.

History:

Steve Avakian launched Avakian Consulting in 1981, focusing on municipal initiatives of every description. Based in Dayton, Columbus and Boston, the firm evolved to its present public policy specialty working with diverse clients ranging from school districts to municipalities, from park boards to professional associations.

Current Business:

Avakian specializes in personal attention to every detail of community outreach. The firm specializes in developing better communication with taxpayers months before an issue goes to the voters. Most policy initiatives, especially issue campaigns, hinge on close outcomes. That's where Avakian Consulting provides the winning edge. By tightly focusing clients on themes that are intelligible and meaningful to citizens, Avakian Consulting has often swung anticipated negative outcomes to positive outcomes. They work closely with grassroots volunteers, giving them the themes and organization they need to be successful. “It’s critically important in this day and age that school districts have a clear sense of where they stand with their public,” said Steve Avakian, who estimated his firm, Avakian and Associates in Dayton, has worked publicly and behind the scenes for hundreds of districts and other taxpayer-supported organizations (1).

About Steve Avakian, Joel Gagne, and Carole Dorn-Bell:

Steve Avakian:

Steve Avakian grew up in New York City and earned degrees at The College of Wooster and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism before launching a reporting career with the Cleveland Press. Merging his passion for public policy work and reporting, Avakian served as press secretary to Senator John Glenn from 1974-79 and then managed Glenn’s first re-election campaign. That 1980 re-election campaign set the record for earning the largest plurality in Ohio history by carrying 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties. A record that remains unbroken to this day.

In 1981 Steve launched Avakian Consulting focusing on grassroots campaigns of all types and throughout the state of Ohio. Throughout the decades, Avakian Consulting continued to evolve and expand their work into public policy planning and outreach. This specialty work entails a diverse client base ranging from municipalities to park boards and from school districts to professional associations.

Joel Gagne:

Joel offers a range of experience in politics and has been involved in political campaigns at every level and even abroad for more than 20 years. This includes work on multiple presidential campaigns, the Irish Parliament, mayoral campaigns, and campaigns for the US Senate and governorship. It also includes serving as an elected official for public office. Joel graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and attended Harvard University for graduate studies. He also completed program work from Harvard in conflict resolution and from the University of Chicago in creative writing. Joel has worked throughout the country as part of his political work.

Carole Dorn-Bell: Carole has more than 20 years of experience in politics with experience ranging from state and local government to campaigns for candidate and ballot issue initiatives. Prior to joining the Ohio local government, where she has worked in numerous capacities for more than 10 years, she worked in the Michigan Senate as a writer on the majority leader’s staff and for many caucus senators. She is known for developing responsible and responsive outreach strategies so that organizations can effectively communicate with their constituencies and garner support and credibility. Carole is a periodic presenter on outreach strategies and programs. Carole is a native Ohioan. She has a B.S. in English Literature from the University of Cincinnati and M.A. in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University.

== References ==

1. http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/election/schools-use-consultants-to-connect-with-voters-619520.html -