Mark R. Weaver, Esq.
Mr. Weaver is the founder of the firm. He is a practicing attorney and national communications advisor with two decades of crisis management experience, having counseled clients in 16 states.
The Columbus Dispatch called Mr. Weaver "one of the most powerful figures in state government and Statehouse politics." The Cincinnati Enquirer agreed, describing him as "a top professional," and "a veteran strategist."
Prior to founding the firm, Mr. Weaver was the Deputy Attorney General of Ohio, where he was responsible for crisis management, strategic counseling and all communications for an agency with 1,400 employees and 50,000 cases. He also served on the Attorney General's four-member Executive Staff and acted as a senior policy advisor and chief spokesman. While there, he co-authored a National Association of Attorneys General Management Study on communications management in five different state attorney general offices.
His past professional assignments include serving as the Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the U.S Department of Justice and Vice President of a national communications firm in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Weaver has provided media advice to thousands of government officials. He's written hundreds of PR plans, conducted media coaching, and supervised countless polls and focus groups. In 1993, he wrote, produced, and directed the TV special "An American Story," hosted by former President Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Weaver regularly lectures around the country for such clients as the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute, the Ann Anstine Excellence in Public Service Series, the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Adelphia Cable, the National Association of State Retirement Administrators, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Bar Association, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the Ohio Rural Electric Coop, Ohio University, and the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mr. Weaver is an experienced First Amendment and Election Law attorney who also teaches Election Law at the University of Akron and Media Law at The Ohio State University College of Law.
Early in his career, Mr. Weaver was a Communications Director with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He also ran a Philadelphia-area communications consulting firm serving more than 100 clients.
Mr. Weaver earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in Public Administration from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, where he has received more alumni awards than any other graduate of that institution. As an undergraduate, he served a Fellowship with the Center for the Study of the Presidency.
He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Delaware Law School of Widener University, where he graduated in the top 15% of his class. In 2004, the University of Akron awarded Mr. Weaver an honorary degree in Applied Politics.
He has been interviewed by every major national media outlet including 60 Minutes, Nightline, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, FOX News, NPR, BBC, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, and Reuters. He was recognized in both "Who's Who in American Law" and "Who's Who in American Politics."
He is also a part-time felony-level prosecutor in Southern Ohio, where he often prosecutes child sex abuse cases. Mr. Weaver and his wife Lori reside in Central Ohio, where they are raising their two children.
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Jen Detwiler
Ms. Detwiler has more than a dozen years of experience in the communications arena. In 1995, Ms. Detwiler joined the communications staff of then-Attorney General Betty Montgomery, where she served as a spokeswoman for several of the office’s highest-profile legal departments including consumer protection, environmental enforcement, charitable law, as well as for the law enforcement functions of the office (the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission, and the Peace Officer Training Academy).
As legislative term limits took hold in Ohio, Ms. Detwiler was recruited to serve as communications director at the Ohio House of Representatives in 2001. She served as communications advisor to the Speaker of the House and majority leadership for the next two years.
Ms. Detwiler re-joined Betty Montgomery’s press staff in 2003 at the Ohio Auditor of State’s office as communications coordinator, where she was responsible for managing media planning to ensure a uniform message and served as a spokesperson for various divisions of the office. She was later promoted to director of public affairs. In this role, she served as chief spokeswoman and was responsible for all Auditor of State media relations including message development, crisis communications, press conferences, speechwriting, and publications management.
In 2007, incoming State Auditor Mary Taylor invited Ms. Detwiler to continue with the office as director of public affairs. She left the office in spring 2007 to pursue a corporate public relations position, where she stayed until joining Communications Counsel in late September 2007.
Ms. Detwiler received her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Matt Dole
Mr. Dole has communications experience dating back to work in the Marietta College Communications office and an internship in the external relations department of the Ohio Board of Regents.
With the Regents, Dole was responsible for maintaining the department’s media list, tracking coverage and working on strategies to more efficiently present the Regents’ message.
He has also performed communications duties, including event management and media relations with local chapters of The American Red Cross and Easter Seals of Central and Southeast Ohio.
Mr. Dole formerly worked as News Director for WYLI sports talk radio, a 5000 watt AM station in Marietta Ohio, and also wrote a yearlong column on Ohio history during the state’s bicentennial for the Marietta Times.
Mr. Dole is an alumnus of Marietta College (Marietta, Ohio) where he earned a degree in history. He is involved with several community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Easter Seals.
Sara Donlon
Ms. Donlon is an experienced public affairs and communications consultant with a strong network of contacts in Ohio government and the Ohio House of Representatives.
Prior to joining Communications Counsel, she began her career as the Aide to Ohio State Representative Linda Reidelbach. After working with Representative Reidelbach for two years, she was appointed to serve as Senior Legislative Aide to State Representative Tom Raga.
Ms. Donlon worked with Representative Raga when he was Vice Chair of the powerful House Finance Committee, as well as a member of the state's Controlling Board, Chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee, and a top policy advisor to the Speaker of the House.
As Senior Aide, Ms. Donlon worked on the state budget, met with interested parties and members, worked on legislation and caucus issues, and reviewed agency Controlling Board requests. In December 2005, she was named Employee of the Quarter by her colleagues.
Ms. Donlon received her Bachelor's degree in Business from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). While at Miami University, Ms. Donlon focused her studies on the legal aspects of business. Most recently, she was asked to speak at the John Glenn Leadership Institute New Leadership, which is designed to educate and empower college women to take on public leadership roles.
Sheryl Stecker
Ms. Stecker has a wide range of communications and governmental experience.
Prior to joining Communications Counsel, she was a senior Aide in the Ohio House of Representatives, working for several members including Representative Bill Coley, then Speaker Pro Tempore Gary Cates, and she worked closely with Representative John Willamowski, while he was Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Ms. Stecker is an alumna of Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA) where she earned a degree in Political Science. She is a member of the Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute, a program designed to encourage and prepare women to take on more major leadership roles in the community, in the politics, and in government.
Ms. Stecker has continued to expand her communications experience through organizing media projects and events, outlining public relations plans, and coordinating and attending public speaking workshops.