Mark Blankenship is an experienced and highly regarded opinion researcher and communications strategist.

Blankenship’s expertise is sought by Fortune 500 companies, national trade organizations and associations, major law firms, hospitals, colleges and universities, elected officials, small businesses and others.  During his career he has created, executed and managed numerous research and communications projects for clients facing difficult challenges, litigation, campaigns, image issues and crisis situations.  His research and commentary has been used by, and appeared in, several national and regional media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The Drudge Report and NBC among others. 

Blankenship and his firm solve the problems of these organizations with a simple philosophy – base the communications strategy on well thought-out and executed research.  He and his firm believe in identifying the organization’s critical audience, exploring the opinions of that critical audience, using the findings to build a sound communications strategy and seeing such strategy through execution. This is the formula necessary to address challenges and problems successfully.  This philosophy has yielded highly successful results for a number of clients.  As a result, Blankenship has long-standing relationships and friendships with clients who regularly and repeatedly seek his firm’s counsel and guidance. 

Prior to founding the firm, Blankenship worked for a leading opinion research company in the mid-Atlantic region, where he was a senior vice president and chief strategist.  Before that, he was a top-aide to Cecil H. Underwood, former governor of West Virginia, in the governor’s administration and gubernatorial campaigns.  He has experience in numerous other campaigns including presidential, congressional and other statewide elections.  Additionally, he has worked on some of the highest profile litigation cases in the country, been involved and consulted on numerous corporate and crisis communications efforts.   Nearly 15 years of experience have enabled Blankenship to become one of the top and most sought communications experts in the region.  

Blankenship volunteers for numerous national and state political campaigns and organizations, non-profit groups and is active in his community.  (To learn how you can become involved in some special charities, view the following links)

http://www.fisherhouse.org/

http://www.appalachianeducationinitiative.org/

http://www.rmhcmgtn.org/

http://www.buckskin.org/

Blankenship received both his graduate and undergraduate degrees from West Virginia University ( http://www.wvu.edu/ ).  He and his wife Kari, reside in Charleston, West Virginia.