A prominent public affairs, public relations and political consultant, Joe Cerrell worked professionally in politics for almost five decades. In 1966, Joe founded and served as chairman and CEO of Cerrell Associates Inc. Based in Los Angeles, it is one of California’s oldest, largest and most respected government affairs, public relations and campaign management firms. It is the 50th largest independent public relations company in the nation and the sixth largest firm in Southern California, according to “O’Dwyer’s 2003 Directory of Public Relations Firms”.

Active in the Italian-American community, Joe is president of the National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF); vice chairman for the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian-American Organizations; was appointed to the California Italian American Task Force by former California Governor Pete Wilson; and is chairman of the board for the Italy America Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW). He is a member of the Sons of Italy; the Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California; the Italian Cultural Society; and holds the “Commendatore al Merito Della Republica Italiana” decoration from the Republic of Italy. In 2002, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

During his career, Joe played key roles in the presidential campaigns of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey, Lloyd Bentsen, John Glenn and Al Gore. On his own, or as part of the firm, he has managed a wide variety of local and state campaigns, and pioneered the field of judicial campaign management. He is chairman emeritus and past president of the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) and past president of the International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC). Joe also served as a member of the White House Business and Public Affairs Advisory Committee by appointment of President Jimmy Carter.

He serves on the board of directors for the Los Angeles World Affairs Council; the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific; is past chairman of the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA; past vice president of the Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles chapter; the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Bench Bar Media Committee and member of the Board of Visitors of the Graziadio School of Business Management, Pepperdine University. Joe also served as president of the California Museum of Science and Industry and as a member of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission that hosted the 1984 Olympic Games. Currently, he is on the executive committee of the California Science Center.

Joe has been honored with many awards during his professional career, including the Small Family Owned Business of the Year Award given by the Los Angeles Business Journal and the PRSA PRism Award for Outstanding PR Professional.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, he completed 15 years as an adjunct professor with USC’s prestigious Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics. Currently, he is a Distinguished Visiting Professor in Political Science at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He also lectures and conducts seminars and political forums across the nation.

The New York City native is married with three children and five grandchildren.