Tony Sclafani is a Managing Director in Mercury’s New York City office where he advises corporate clients on strategic communications, media relations, crisis communications and brand building. Considered one of New York’s top public relations strategists, Tony brings more than 20 years of communications and public affairs experience from both sides of the media landscape, having served in senior-level communications positions at the city and state levels, as well as a reporter for the New York Daily News.

Most recently, he served as senior vice president and chief communications officer at the Javits Center, the busiest convention center in the United States on Manhattan’s West Side. For nearly a decade, he oversaw all external and internal communications, government affairs and community partnerships for the iconic convention center, including a campus-wide renovation, a 1.2 million square-foot expansion and an award-winning sustainability program. He created the organization’s first corporate social responsibility program and led all communications efforts as the venue transformed into an emergency hospital and vaccination center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, Tony was associate commissioner of communications and public affairs for the New York City Department of Buildings during the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, managing long-term strategy and day-to-day operations for the agency’s press office. He also served as press secretary for the New York City Fire Department and a police reporter for the New York Daily News based in One Police Plaza.

Tony has delivered lectures on strategic communications and media relations for various institutions including the Public Relations Society of America, Columbia University and the City University of New York. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, with a BA in history and lives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters.