PRSA is not just a professional society, it’s a centerpiece for building and nurturing important lifelong relationships. For me, being a PRSA member, volunteer and leader has been an essential part of my professional growth and – yes – my personal life as well.
The 5 years I served elected to PRSA's National Board / Executive Committee -- including at its elected CEO and Board Chair in 1999 preparing it for the New Millennium -- was an incredible growth opportunity, enriched by work with 100s and 100s of PRSA volunteers..
I’ve been blessed to mentor dozens of PRSA members and volunteers, paying forward what was shared with me by PRSA legends like Patrick Jackson, APR, Fellow PRSA, and Jack Felton, APR, Fellow PRSA, as well as Harland “Hal” Warner, APR, Fellow PRSA, and dozens of others who always were willing to take my call.
After 40 years in this field, about ½ corporate at DuPont and ½ via my own firm SW&A, I’m still very much full-speed ahead in work that I love, helping clients who will become friends navigate the difficult issues that are a barrier to organizational, professional and personal success.
My work has been national, even global in scope, and, even today, when I’m travelling globally (I’m in Switzerland as I write this) or nationally, I’m always available. Initial consultation is free, and I’m always happy to match a “scope of work” to the available budget.
Although part of my work has evolved to M&A, Finance, and Corporate Counsel, one PR cornerstone that I still love every day is the Strategic Public Affairs ~ Reputation Management ~ Issues & Crisis Management.
=========================================================================================================
=========================================================================================================
Clients, colleagues and peers characterize Sam Waltz as a…
(1) Wise Counselor & Intuitive Navigator ~ Focus on Ethical Collaboration with C-level Decision-Maker(s) that advances organizational interests, in a professionally ethical and conscientious through a variety of difficult times and change-related issues where the navigational markers may not be obvious, or even exist at all;
(2) Big Picture Thinker in the “Issues du Jour” of Public Affairs & Public Policy ~ Decades of work the Court of Public Opinion, 40 years based from Delaware, working nationally and globally, understanding evolution and progression of Public Issues, Issues & Crisis Management, role of Opinion-Elites including Media, someone who has faced every situation at least once, sometimes often, or situations like it;
(3) Strategic Counselor, Trusted Adviser & Advocate ~ Reputation & Relationship Manager ~ including CEO and Executive Counsel, Public Affairs Reputation Management / Issues & Crisis Management, Community Affairs, External Affairs, External Communications, Government Relations, Speech-Writing, Organizational Communications, New Business Development, and Investment Banking / Merger & Acquisition, Communications Programs, Communications Initiatives, Media Inquiries, Shareholder Advocacy, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Reputation Management;
(4) Business / Organizational Competence ~ Business Smarts, knows Business Organizations, Operations, Financials, Capital Issues, IP and Enterprise Resource Planning, and valued for Interpersonal Effectiveness & Capacity to Build Win-Win Outcomes with Important Stakeholders, aligning resources and navigating internal and external issues; and
(5) Leadership Competence, Strategic Servant Leader and Native Problem-Solver ~ builds and leads strong and effective teams, mentor and coach to the next generation of young leaders, including former elected Global / National President (1999) of Industry's Professional Society.
=========================================================================================================
=========================================================================================================
www.SamWaltz.com Sam Waltz Strategic Capital & Business Counsel, founded 1993, is Strategic Senior Sole Practitioner firm, with its PR-related work about 1/3rd each in...
(1) Public Affairs / Reputation Management / Issues & Crisis Management, with a focus not only in assisting C-level management to Navigate Difficult Times & Issues when few or no Navigational Markers are to be found, but to assist as well in Prudent Issues & Crisis Management Planning. Also included is Litigation PR;
(2) Strategic Planning, with deliverables not only the written plan to help the Organization get from where it is to where it wants to be, but a creative problem-solving process as well to maximize the efficacy of the Plan; and
(3) Strategic Senior Counsel, a confidential and discreet one-on-one relationship with the Organization's most senior leader(s), where the deliverables may range from advice and counsel to a Plan to highly-sensitive policy and communications activity, such bankruptcy communications, speech-writing, white papers and related work.
SW&A downsized from a staff of 10 between 2007-10, after the principal graduated the last of his 3 Waltz Family young adults from the University, finishing 12 years of tuitions, and seeking to "rebalance" his life.
Anticipating the next phase of his career, Sam Waltz also added Investment Banking services to his work -- principally via his affiliation with www.RLSassociates.com Investment Banking and M&A, founded 1986, the oldest and largest independent "middle market" investment banking firm in the Greater Philadelphia region. His focus in that work is M&A transactional work on both the sell-side and the buy-side for the middle market, with revenues in the $5mil-$100mil range. In addition, he provides strategic counsel to early-stage emerging technology companies for which he also helps find first-round capital.
For a year, from Spring 2014-Spring 2015, he was pulled by a 30-year friend who is CEO of Today Media (publishers of a variety of City and Regional magazines) to start as publisher the Delaware Business Times, a statewide business newspaper. Having "stood down" in Spring 2015 to return to his practice, he retained the title Founding Publisher and he continues to write a regular front-of-the-paper column, as well as occasional news stories.