Emily Blum

Account Supervisor

eblum@valeriedenney.com

It’s not only her nine years of Washington political experience that make Emily Blum a key player at VDC. She’s also a good listener.

Emily listens to parents explain what they need to know about their child’s public school. She listens to Congressmen explain what they want to say in newsletters to constituents. She listens when a client asks how best to deal with news media covering their next guest speaker … when that speaker happens to be U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

Emily listens, carefully, before devising strategies and action plans tailored to the specific client, issue and audience. For Chicago Public Schoolsshe recently designed an easy-to-understand school directory, organized by neighborhood, listing each school’s philosophy, academic program and extra-curricular opportunities. For several congressmen, including Democratic caucus chair Rahm Emanuel, she regularly translates bureaucratic jargon and bill numbers into easy-to-read mailings about policies and programs that help people. For the Chicago Council on Global Affairs she prepared an Obama media kit and press plan worthy of a State Department briefing.

Emily Blum brings over a decade’s worth of experience in nonprofit and political advertising to VDC. In Washington, as an executive for several political consultancies, she developed and implemented targeted persuasion and fundraising mail campaigns. She continues that work in Chicago for VDC clients such as the Washington-based Mack Crounse Group. Other recent projects have included a five-year campaign to educate parents on choices available within the Chicago Public Schools; and public relations management for Illinois’ Citizens Utility Board and for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

A cum laude graduate of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, Emily has served in recent years on the associate board of the Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law.