Contact: Scott Warner
703-744-7824
swarner@qorvis.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Qorvis Hires Presidential Commission’s Public Diplomacy Director

Washington , DC – October 12, 2004 – Qorvis Communications LLC, a privately held full service public relations firm, today announced that Matt J. Lauer, the former executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy at the Department of State, has joined the firm as a director. Lauer has significant experience in local, national and international public relations strategies.

“Matt brings unique and significant experience to Qorvis with demonstrated success in media relations and integrated international communication initiatives,” said Michael Petruzzello, managing partner of Qorvis. “We will continue to utilize Matt’s unique skills to foster understanding between the Middle East and the American people. We also will tap his distinctive public relations experience, working in the smallest of American media markets to informing vast international audiences, for the benefit of our breadth of clients.”

Lauer was most recently responsible for administering and overseeing the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. The commission, a bipartisan panel appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, analyzes and evaluates the U.S. government’s international public relations capabilities. Last year, the commission specifically reviewed America’s communications capabilities in the Middle East.

Prior to his work at the commission, Lauer was the senior director of media relations at America’s Promise, where he worked with three of the organization’s former chairmen – General Colin L. Powell, Governor Marc Racicot and Senator Harris Wofford – to communicate the essential needs of young people at the local and national levels. In other experiences, Lauer served as communications director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, press secretary to a former lieutenant governor of South Carolina and on the Senate campaign of John Edwards.

“We will continue to seek the most skilled public relations professionals,” said Doug Poretz, a founding partner at Qorvis. “Matt is yet another valued member of the Qorvis team who can provide clients with a range of strategic counsel, whether they have specific or broad communications needs.”

About Qorvis
Qorvis Communications is a client service driven public relations firm. Formed in August 2000, Qorvis has offices in Washington, DC and McLean, Virginia, and provides its clients with expertise in the areas of investor and financial relations, public affairs, grassroots campaigns, public and media relations, marketing communications, Internet-based campaigns and research and opinion surveys.  The Washington, DC based law firm of Patton Boggs is an investor in and strategic partner to Qorvis.