Potomac Flacks: Flack Profile: Fred Baldassaro, Edelman

May 20, 2008

Flack Profile: Fred Baldassaro, Edelman

Today we are bringing back our popular Flack Profile feature and we are kicking it off by featuring Fred Baldassaro, a vice president at Edelman. Check out our previous flack profiles here.

Hometown: Revere, Massachusetts (hometown of Kelly's Roast Beef)

How long have you been in your current position: Two years

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? President of the United States, but by the time I was in high school I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. And I haven’t succeeded at either one.

What college did you go to and what was your major? Emerson College in Boston. I majored in Mass Communication with an emphasis on broadcast journalism. It was a very intense program and got me ready for jobs in journalism and in public relations.

What was your very first job? I used to set up bingo tables at my grade school for $30 a week, but my first real job was working the cash register at McDonalds in the summer of 1990. I developed a crush on an older girl who worked there, but my abilities to work the drive-thru and operate the grill at the same time didn’t impress her.

Where do you get your news from? In the morning I watch the first 20 minutes of the Today show to make sure I’m not missing anything. At work, I check Drudge and the New York Times homepage every hour or so. I read the Boston Globe sports section every morning to keep track of my favorite Boston teams and recently set up a personalized Google page that allows me to keep track of many magazines, blogs and breaking news.

I have an RSS feed for Business Week to keep track of the latest business news that might affect my clients. I have found sites like Knowledge at Wharton and the Mavericks at Work blog to be great places to absorb new ideas and pick up trends in the business community. I also listen to podcasts to get more in-depth analysis of current events. And if I make it home in time, the nightly newscasts.

Daily Show or Colbert? I’m a big baseball fan so if I’m still up I’m watching the Sox or Baseball Tonight on ESPN at that time.

Posted by Laura Gross on May 20, 2008 in Flack Profiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Matt Mackowiak is a Washington, D.C. and Austin,TX-based Republican strategist and communications consultant and President of Potomac Strategy Group, LLC. In his career he has managed a winning Congressional campaign and worked in the U.S. Senate, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at a leading international PR firm, on a presidential campaign in Iowa and in White House presidential advance. Follow him on Twitter - @MattMackowiak

Laura Gross - Contributor
Laura Gross is currently president of Scott Circle Communications. She has served as deputy director of communications at the DNC, was Gov. Howard Dean's Communications Director and she worked in the press office at USAID during the Clinton administration. Her experience also includes time in the PR department of National Public Radio and she was part of Vice President Gore's advance team when he was in The White House.
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Blain K. Rethmeier - Contributor
Blain K. Rethmeier is currently the Senior Vice President for Public Affairs for the American Insurance Association (AIA). Rethmeier joined AIA from the White House where he served as Special Assistant to the President for Communications and directed communications for the National Economic Council and Homeland Security Council. Prior to joining the White House, Rethmeier served as Press Secretary for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Follow him on Twitter: @BlainR

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