(New York, NY) – National, bipartisan public strategy firm Mercury today announced that Charlie King, CEO of the multi-entity firm CGK Partners, LLC, has joined Mercury as Co-Chair of New York, where he will focus on public strategy, government affairs and political and grassroots campaigns. “I am excited to welcome Charlie and his team to Mercury,” said Mercury Managing Partner Kieran Mahoney. “His career and expertise will be an invaluable asset to the firm. It’s a testament to Mercury’s strength that we are able to attract talent like this to further expand our presence in New York and nationally.”
King has been a fixture in New York politics, government and advocacy, dedicating more than 25 years to serving New York in both the public and private sectors. Most recently King served as a senior campaign advisor to Andrew Cuomo’s re-election campaign, and was formerly the State Executive Director for the New York State Democratic Party. King also ran Congressman Charles B. Rangel’s re-election campaign.
In 2000 King was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a top official of the New York and New Jersey region of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), replacing Bill de Blasio as the New York/New Jersey Regional Director for then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo. In 2002 King ran for Lt. Governor, serving as the running mate for then gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo, and in 2006 King ran unsuccessfully for New York State Attorney General. During his extensive career, he has served as Acting National Director for National Action Network, one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, and as an advisor to Rev. Al Sharpton. In 2007 King founded his own firm, a private political, governmental and corporate consulting business. King is a graduate of Brown University and New York University School of Law where he was honored as a Root-Tilden Scholar. He has a wife, Vanessa, and two daughters, Nicole and Caroline. Nicole was recently accepted to Brown University, Class of “I have known Charlie for many years and working with him has always been a pleasure. His wealth of experience is tremendous,” said Hon. Fernando Ferrer, who also is Co-Chair of New York. “I look forward to working together as Co-Chairs to grow Mercury’s New York operation.”
“Mercury is an exceptional firm with far reaching capabilities. I look forward to expanding the work that I do for our clients,” said King. “It is a rare privilege to get to work with a team this great, and I hope that this move will prove beneficial for everyone involved.” King’s business partner, Jan Feuerstadt will also join Mercury’s New York City office as a Managing Director. In her new role with Mercury, Feuerstadt’s focus will be on government relations and building relationships with new and existing clients. King’s former associate, Sarah Paden, will also join the Mercury team as a Director. King and his team start their new roles with Mercury on January 5, 2015.
King, Feuerstadt and Paden join Mercury’s growing team of Democratic strategists in New York, including former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, former Suffolk County Executive Pat Halpin, public relations specialist Rachel Noerdlinger, Democratic campaign strategist Austin Finan, Democratic communications specialist John Collins, and lobbyists Jim Quent and Violet Moss.
About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent – we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engages in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established national presence, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina.
Mercury is part of Omnicom Group Inc. Omnicom is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.