Paul Duning, Publisher & Co-Founder
paul.duning@capitolcommunicator.com
The idea to create a resource for communications professionals came during the summer of 2002 when Paul took a bubble-imposed sabbatical spending the summer traveling with his family. The idea was to bring a community back together that had been terribly fragmented by 911 and the economic downturn that followed.
Prior to that, Paul spent 30 months as the merger & acquisition lead for a company consolidating communications-related companies in three markets. During that period he met with several hundred communications companies across a broad spectrum of disciplines and was instrumental in bringing together 17 companies. Then came the bust of 2001 and 2002, Paul’s role changed from integrating to re-organizing, which resulted in multiple rounds of difficult layoffs including, in the end, his own.
In early 2004, Paul met Phil Rabin who, for many years, was co-author of the region's most respected and longest-running advertising and public relations column. In May 2004 Paul and Phil launched DC Communicator, an e-mail newsletter, with the support of EFX Media, West Glen Communications and Real Magnet.
In February 2008 Paul and Phil launched Capitol Communicator. In a partnership with r2integrated, the Capitol Communicator online community was created using the most current social networking technology available. Today, Capitol Communicator serves not only as a community for communicators but as a platform for communications technology exploration.
Paul has had a media diverse career working in production, marketing communications, advertising, media communications and public relations. Paul started his career as a multi-media producer, moved into business development and later management. He was an early adopter of multi-media, electronic publishing, digital printing and new media technologies in the 80s and 90s and then was involved in merger and acquisitions for an integrated communications company in the late 90s. Paul is a native of Tennessee and graduate of the University of Tennessee with an individualized honors degree in multi-media and business.
Contact Paul concerning advertising, sponsorship, consulting, affilliate and business development opportunties.
Phil Rabin, Managing Editor & Co-Founder
phil.rabin@capitolcommunicator.com
For more than two decades, Phil Rabin has reported on developments in communications for The Washington Times, Washington Business Journal, PRWeek and the DC Communicator e-newsletter.
Phil also is vice president/regional manager for West Glen Communications, a firm that helps organizations present their message to the broadcast and Internet media - including public service announcements, broadcast media tours and news releases and Internet placements.
In addition, he has co-chaired the Professional Development Committee of the National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, and has conducted seminars nationwide on media relations that, in total, have attracted more than 1,000 attendees.
He also has served as public relations director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America and vice president of communications for Defenders of Wildlife. In those positions, he produced more than 100 television public service announcements featuring a wide range of celebrities – from the Harlem Globetrotters to an Olympic gold-medial swimmer. In addition, he was responsible for an e-mail newsletter that reached approximately 500,000 recipients.
A graduate of New York University, he also has been a newscaster with WTOP radio; and served in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserve.
Send news story ideas, art, photos and press releases to Phil.
Debbie Friez, Tech Editor
debbie.friez@capitolcommunicator.com
Debbie serves as Tech editor for Capitol Communicator. She is also Vice President, Major Accounts for BurrellesLuce, the largest media monitoring company in the world.
She has a broad understanding of the technologies that are transforming the marketing and communications profession. She has honed her public relations and social media knowledge through ongoing conversation with clients and active involvement in professional and educational organizations. She serves on the advisory board for the Capitol Communicator, the board of directors for the National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the national marketing committee for the Association of Women in Communications, and is a member of Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR).
Dan Gerlach, Baltimore Correspondent
dgerlach@sfnewmedia.com
Dan serves as Capitol Communicator's correspondent and connector in the greater Baltimore region which serves Annapolis, Columbia, Southern Pennsylvania and Delaware. He is a partner with Storyfarm New Media in Baltimore. Prior to joining Storyfarm, he was a recruiter for Profiles - a headhunting agency that specializes in the advertising, marketing, communications, and interactive industries. Dan has worked in the film & television production field, and held traffic and account management roles at advertising agencies Eisner & Associates and Azzam Jordan.
R2integrated (R2i) is a high growth, next generation digital marketing firm specializing in creating meaningful customer engagement in online environments. R2i provides expertise in social media, marketing and building customer relationships by leveraging online and mobile technologies. R2i offers a comprehensive set of professional services, including marketing, design, and technology to assist companies with next-generation Website development needs. R2i is a national leader in emerging technologies and open-source content management systems, which help customers achieve feature-rich functionality with rapid, cost-effective development. The company was ranked in the Top 100 on the 2010 Inc. Magazine 500 | 5000 advertising and marketing industry list and was most recently listed as an official honoree for the 2011 15th annual Webby Awards. R2i has offices in Baltimore, Boston, Metro DC, and Seattle, has experienced a growth of 337 percent since 2006.