Marla Romash
Marla Romash is a strategic communications consultant and pastry chef based in Jamestown, RI. She is the owner of Romash Communications, a strategic consulting firm that provides political campaigns and candidates, nonprofit organizations, and corporations communications strategies and advertising. She created Romash Communications after leaving the White House, where she served as Communications Director and spokesman for Vice President Al Gore.[1] Prior to her work with Vice President Gore, Romash was a newspaper reporter and television producer, political reporter and analyst.[2] In addition to her work at Romash Communications, she is a professional pastry chef and owner of Marla’s Magic.
Early life, Education and Journalism Career
Romash was born Philadelphia, PA in 1956. She grew up in Albertson, NY and in 1974 graduated high school from The Wheatley School in Old Westbury, NY. In 1978, Romash graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Urban Studies. While attending the University of Connecticut, Romash played Varsity Field Hockey and served as the Sports Editor at The Daily Campus. During this time, Romash was also a part-time reporter for The Bulletin in Norwich, CT. Romash continued as a journalist upon her graduation and accepted a position as a reporter at The News Times of Danbury, CT.
Following years of working in politics and media, Romash attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD. She graduated with Honors from their Pastry Arts Program in 2006.
Professional life
Political Consulting
Romash left The News-Times to briefly work for the State of Connecticut, then joined the U.S. Senate campaign of then-Congressman Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, as Press Secretary and spokesmen, helping him win election in 1980. Romash served as Dodd’s first press secretary in the U.S. Senate. From 1984 to 1987, Romash returned to the news media, working as a political reporter and analyst and producer for both national and local networks, including,” WFSB-TV (Hartford, CT), The Hartford Courant and ABC News’ “Good Morning America.”
In 1988 Romash was the Communications Director and spokesman for then-Connecticut Attorney General Joe Lieberman in his bid against three-term incumbent U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker. Lieberman defeated Weicker by a margin of 10,000 votes, scoring the nation’s most prominent political upset that year. In January 1989, Romash joined the staff of then-U.S. Senator Al Gore as Communications Director.
Communications Director for Al Gore
In 1989 Romash joined then-Senator Gore as his Communications Director and spokesman, helping him gain Senate re-election in 1990. This working relationship continued throughout the mid-nineties. Following Gore’s nomination as Vice Presidential candidate at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, Romash became the Communications Director for the duration of the Clinton-Gore Presidential Campaign. Romash traveled with Gore and acted as a principal communications advisor throughout his candidacy.
Following the 1992 presidential election, Romash served as the key spokesperson for the Clinton Presidential Transition Office. Romash continued her work with Vice President Gore and served as Communications Director for the Office of the Vice President between 1993 and 1994.[3] Romash briefly stepped away from her position with Gore to serve as the Clinton Administration’s chief spokeswoman on health care. In 1995, she became Senior Vice President at Grunwald Eskew & Donilon, where she continued political consulting and media production. In the 2000 presidential election, Romash returned to the Gore campaign and served as a senior advisor in his successful Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary.
Romash Communications
Romash Communications
She created Romash Communications in 1995 after leaving Grunwald, Eskew & Donilon and the White House. Romash Communications is a strategic consulting firm that provides communications and media strategies and advertising to political campaigns and candidates, nonprofit organizations, including colleges and universities.
At Romash Communications, Romash has had extensive experience in crisis communications, most recently working with Lifespan, the largest hospital network in Rhode Island, opposing an out-of-state merger; Harvard University in the landmark lawsuit filed against their admissions policies; with the Berkshire Museum against legal action by the Attorney General of Massachusetts blocking the sale of artwork; with Columbia University, Brown University and Harvard University in the unionization of graduate students; with the Broad Institute in addressing negative reaction challenging the reputation of key leadership; and with Middlebury College after violence marked the campus appearance of a conservative author.
She also has worked with leadership at Harvard Public Affairs and Communications (HPAC), providing strategic communications advice and planning, and communications services across a range of issues and projects. Romash has provided communications advice and support to Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Wyss Institute, The Harvard Global Health Institute, and Dartmouth College.
As a media consultant and senior advisor in recent elections, Romash has provided strategic advice, communications support and advertising in the successful U.S. Senate campaigns of Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (2012, 2018), Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (2008, 2014), and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut (2010, 2016)[4]. She also helped Shaheen win three terms as Governor of New Hampshire and worked with Boston Mayor Martin Walsh[5], leading his 2013 and 2017 debate teams. She has also worked on independent campaigns for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and End Citizens United.
Pastry Chef
In 2001, Romash created Marla’s Magic, a dessert catering, gift, and mail order business providing fine baked goods for parties, gifts, business meetings, and special occasions. Romash is the owner and principal baker at Marla’s Magic, which has earned acclaim from the New York Times, Bethesda Magazine[6] and The Washington Post[7]. “Baked by the Light of the Moon,” The New York Times recommended Marla’s Magic for holiday mail order gifts, saying, “Choose any or all: there isn’t a disappointment in the lot.” (11/10/04) With her husband, Chef Marc Alexander, Romash created Dreamz Catering in Wheaton, MD, in 2009. Originally based in Silver Spring, Maryland, Marla’s Magic is now located in Jamestown, Rhode Island.[8]
Personal Life
In 1990, Romash married Jim O’Hara.[9] They adopted two children. The marriage ended in divorce in 2006. In 2013, Romash married Chef Marc Alexander.
References
- ^ Ferretti, Elena (2012-10-15). "Of buttercream and ballots: cookies with a message". Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ "Marla Romash". Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ "Clinton Presidential Transition | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ Courant, Hartford. "Kudlow Edging Closer to Race Against Blumenthal". Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ "Inauguration Monday with Mayor Marty Walsh | Solomon McCown & Company". Solomon McCown & Company. 2014-01-07. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ "Marla Romash makes (and bakes) political statements". Bethesda Magazine. 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ Andrews-Dyer, Helena (2015-05-01). "Meet the pastry chef who does a little political consulting on the side". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ Gibbs, Ryan. "Romash moves from politics to pastry | www.jamestownpress.com | Jamestown Press". The Jamestown Press. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
- ^ "Ms. Romash Wed To J. A. O'Hara 3d". The New York Times. 1990-11-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
 | This biographical article related to politics in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |