Debra DeShong Reed

Debra DeShong has held high level communications positions in government, the private sector, on Capitol Hill, in state and national political campaigns, and in the media. She has developed media strategy for some of the highest profile campaigns and public figures in Washington. DeShong was the Chief of Staff to Ambassador Caroline Kennedy at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Japan from 2013 to 2015. In this capacity, she was the Ambassador’s principal political and communications advisor for two years. DeShong oversaw the Ambassador’s successful introduction to the Japanese people and orchestrated a comprehensive 60 Minutes profile focusing on the Ambassador’s work.

Prior to relocating to Japan, DeShong founded Five by Five Public Affairs focusing on strategic communications, media relations, litigation communications and crisis communications, serving clients that include Fortune 100 companies, non-profit organizations, unions, coalitions, and foundations. Prior to founding Five by Five, she was a founding Principal of Point Blank Public Affairs from 2006 to 2012.

Five by Five served clients in a variety of sectors including the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, The Broadband Coalition and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. DeShong also served as the communications manager for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, and Catalist, the premier voter information data warehouse.

As a Principal with Point Blank, DeShong managed projects for clients such as EMILY’s List, The DISH Network, EADS North America, Caroline Kennedy, and the Federal Communications Commission. For several high profile litigations, DeShong also spearheaded the communications efforts, developing the media strategies and acting as spokesperson.

Prior to Point Blank Public Affairs, DeShong served as Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the United Nations Foundation. There she created two new programs bringing local television reporters to the United Nations for three days of briefings and interviews, and “Talk Radio Day at the UN” with radio hosts from around the country broadcasting from the United Nations for the first time in history.

Prior to working at the Foundation, DeShong served as a Senior Communications Advisor for the Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign. She managed the communications department in the Washington DC headquarters and oversaw the multi-million-dollar satellite media operations. She also regularly appeared on national television and radio shows on behalf of the campaign. Previously, DeShong was the Democratic National Committee’s Communications Director where she coordinated six presidential primary debates including the first ever-bilingual debate.

On Capitol Hill, DeShong served as the Communications Director for U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) during a federal campaign finance investigation and a U.S. Senate Ethics Committee investigation. She served as Press Secretary to Majority Leader Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and as the campaign Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR). DeShong has worked at the local levels of politics and media, serving as Communications Director for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and as a news bureau supervisor and on-air reporter for WBTW-TV (CBS) in Myrtle Beach, SC.

DeShong is a graduate of Fairfield University and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.