Jack Martin (executive)

Jack L. Martin
Born Tayor
Alma mater Texas State University (then Southwest Texas State)
Occupation Executive
Known for
Home town San Antonio, Texas

Jack Martin is the global executive chairman and chief executive officer of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a global public relations consultancy, and a former Democratic consultant.[1] He is also a board member of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.[2] Martin is a former chairman of the Texas State University System Board of Regents[3] and has served on the LBJ Foundation's board of trustees.[4] The foundation supports the LBJ Presidential Library and LBJ School of Public Affairs.[5]

Early life

Jack Martin was born in Taylor, Texas and grew up in San Antonio, Texas.[6] He attended Texas State University (then known as Southwest Texas State University), where he studied political science.[6] While at the Southwest Texas State, he became involved with the school's student senate.[1] He later became chairman of the student senate and met former President Lyndon B. Johnson, a prominent alumnus of the school, through that office.[7]

Career

Martin began serving as an assistant sergeant at arms at the Texas Capitol while studying at Southwest Texas State. Shortly thereafter, two years following his meeting Johnson, a Johnson aide introduced Martin to then-United States Senator Lloyd Bentsen.[1] Martin left school to take a job as travel aide during Bentsen's campaign for the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination.[1]

Following Bentsen's 1976 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Martin helped direct the campaign of then-state Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial nominee John Luke Hill during the 1978 Democratic primary and Texas gubernatorial general election.[6][8] John Hill beat incumbent Governor Dolph Briscoe in the Democratic primary by running a progressive campaign,[8] but lost in the general election to Republican Bill Clements.[9] The 1978 election was the first time since Reconstruction that a Republican won the governorship of Texas.[9]

In 1982, the 28-year-old Martin led the Democratic coordinated campaign for all state elections while also heading Bentsen's successful reelection campaign for the United States Senate.[6][8] That year Democrats swept statewide offices[6] and incumbent Republican Governor Bill Clements lost in the general election to Democrat Mark White.[10] Other Democrats who won office that year include Jim Maddox for attorney general, Ann Richards for state treasurer, Garry Mauro for land commissioner, and Jim Hightower for agriculture commissioner.[10]

Governor Mark White appointed Martin to a six-year term on the Texas State University System Board of Regents in 1985.[11] The board of regents oversaw the system's member institutions, which at the time were Angelo State University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, and Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), Martin's alma mater.[12] Martin became chairman of the board in 1988 and served on the board in that capacity until his term expired in 1991.[3] Martin received the Southwest Texas State University Distinguished Alumni award following his regency.[3]

In 1988, Martin led Bentsen's successful reelection campaign for the United States Senate.[8] Later that year Martin founded Public Strategies, a public affairs and communication firm, with the help of Matthew Dowd, who served as company president and oversaw its day-to-day operations.[13] The firm was financed with a small loan Martin secured on farmland that he had inherited from his father.[14] He purchased the name Public Strategies from James Johnson and Richard Holbrooke for $1.[15] Johnson and Holbrooke had previously owned a consultancy of the same name, which they sold to Lehman Brothers in the early 1980s.[15] The two later served as members of Public Strategies' advisory board.[15]

Public Strategies' first client was Southwest Airlines, whose co-founder, Herb Kelleher, was a friend of Bentsen.[1] The firm continued to work in Democratic politics during the early 1990s.[1] Public Strategies worked on the campaigns of Democratic candidates during the 1990 Texas election cycle, including winners Governor Ann Richards, Lt. Governor Bob Bullock, and Attorney General Dan Morales.[13] Martin chaired Richards' gubernatorial transition team following her election.[16] The firm also advised national Democratic leadership, with Martin serving as an adviser to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee.[14] By 1994, the firm decided to move away from partisan politics and concentrate solely on corporations and business groups.[13][14]

Martin remained chairman of the Public Strategies following its 2006 acquisition by the WPP Group.[17] Four years later, in November 2010, WPP Group merged Public Strategies with Hill & Knowlton, another communications firm it owned.[18] Martin became global chairman of the newly merged Hill & Knowlton and was appointed global chief executive officer of the firm in January 2011.[18][19] Hill & Knowlton was renamed Hill+Knowlton Strategies in December 2011.[20]

Personal life

Martin is married to Patsy Woods Martin, a former regent of Texas Tech University.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Holmes, Paul (28 May 2012). "Jack Martin : The Insurrectionist". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "Jack Martin". National Museum of American History. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Regents approve plans for sports complex". The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise. 5 March 1991. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Power, Stephen (21 April 2010). "Massey Hires Politically Connected PR Firm". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Foundation". LBJ Foundation. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Bruce Hight (27 December 1998). "Austin PR firm gast outgrowing its low profile // Public Strategies shows national reach, policy-shaping know-how". Austin American-Statesman.
  7. ↑ Green, Sherri Deatherage (12 May 2001). "Martin on a mission: put PSI deep in the heart of Europe - An introvert with a gift for listening, Jack Martin is nonetheless outspoken. And that combination is what has helped him succeed". PRWeek. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Dave McNeely (27 December 1989). "GOP's rise leads new Texas politics Series: The '80s: A look back". Austin American-Statesman.
  9. 1 2 Brandi Grissom; Reeve Hamilton; Ross Ramsey (29 May 2011). "Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements Dies". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Democratic Party". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Governor names three to UT Board of Regents". The Galveston Daily News. 12 February 1985. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "Former SWT students appointed as Regents". The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise. 20 February 1985. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Michael Totty (8 November 1995). "Austin Consulting Firm Redefines The Art of Grass-Roots Lobbying". The Wall Street Journal.
  14. 1 2 3 Wray, Barbara (23 March 2003). "A public affairs powerhouse". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 Jerry Mahoney (2 December 2001). "PSI's Jack Martin has made much of friends in high places". Austin American-Statesman.
  16. ↑ "Richards, Clements meet; First Group of Assistants Appointed". The Victoria Advocate. 21 November 1990. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  17. ↑ Ted McKenna (5 August 2006). "Acquisition of Public Strategies boosts WPP's PA capabilities". PRWeek. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  18. 1 2 "Public Strategies to merge with N.Y. firm". Austin Business Journal. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  19. ↑ Lee, Jaimy (11 January 2011). "Taaffe resigns from H&K, Martin named global CEO". PRWeek. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  20. ↑ Mattinson, Alec (1 December 2011). "Hill & Knowlton rebrands to become Hill+Knowlton Strategies". PRWeek. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  21. ↑ Marty Toohey (25 January 2014). "In mayor's race, foes vie for outsider mantle Martin resides in Austin, Texas and has three grown children.". Austin American-Statesman.
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