William Nixon

William Holladay Nixon (born November 29, 1958 in Washington, D.C.) is chairman and chief executive of Policy Impact Communications, Inc., a full-service public- and government relations company. A former speechwriter and senior policy advisor for President Ronald Reagan, Nixon served for more than 15 years as a senior staff member on Capitol Hill, the majority of the time with Republican Senator William Roth of Delaware. He also worked for Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, as well as on the professional staffs of the Senate Finance and Government Affairs Committees. Nixon has also written a book, "Strategic Compromise", which was released in 1990.

Childhood & Youth

Nixon grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where his father, a Federal Court Immigration Judge, worked as an attorney and corporate CEO. He first became involved in politics as a 16-year-old in the 1976 Senate campaign of Orrin Hatch. It was during that campaign that he became interested in the relationship between politicians, public policy, the media, and the power of persuasive communication. After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sevilla, Spain, he graduated with honors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he attended on a football scholarship, playing center with future National Football League quarterback Randall Cunningham. He later studied political communications at the University of Maryland.

Journalism & Literary Career

Nixon began his professional career as a journalist, founding and editing "American Times Magazine," a regional conservative publication that focused on politics and culture, and working as associate editor of "The Las Vegan City Magazine." He served as editor of "Quicksilver," a literary journal, and in 1990 published his first book, a novel entitled "Strategic Compromise." Nixon's articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in magazines and journals throughout the world. His work is translated regularly, particularly into Mandarin, Chinese, as he is a monthly contributor to the popular "CUP Magazine," often referred to as China's "Vanity Fair."

In 1998, he co-authored "The Power to Destroy" with Senator William Roth. The book was an exposé documenting the historic Senate oversight hearings involving the Internal Revenue Service.

Washington career

In 2001, Nixon was hired by Haley Barbour, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and chairman of Policy Impact Communications, Inc., to serve as president of the company which was founded by Barbour, Ed Gillespie, Lanny Griffith, and Ed Rogers in 1996. Upon Barbour's election to serve as Governor of Mississippi in 2003, Nixon became chairman of Policy Impact.

Prior to joining Policy Impact, Nixon served as president and chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association from 1999 to 2001, where he was credited with merging three separate industry associations into a single and more politically powerful organization.

Today Nixon remains active in church and community service. He is a Fellow at the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and serves as a member of the President's National Council at Utah Valley University. He frequently lectures and writes on the topics of communications and politics.

Family

In 1980, he married Tamera McDonald. The couple have three children and a son-in-law, and reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Church Service

Since 2004 Nixon has served as president of the Mt. Vernon Virginia Stake of the LDS Church. ["LDS Church News", June 19th, 2004]

References