Loretta Ucelli

Strategic Communications Consultant

Loretta Ucelli is a strategic communications executive who has spent her 25-year professional career as an advisor to some of the world’s most influential public and private sector leaders, including former President Bill Clinton.  In a variety of senior positions in industry, academia, government, campaigns, labor unions, and non-profits, Ucelli has created unique, comprehensive communications strategies to defend, protect, and advance reputation and image.  She is known for her expertise in developing powerful and meaningful messages for multiple audiences around some of the most vexing global issues of our time, including health care, the economy and environmental protection and regulation.

Most recently Ucelli held the most senior communications position at  Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company.  She led global internal and external communications strategy development and execution for one of the world’s most valuable healthcare enterprises. Prior to joining Pfizer she headed communications, government and community affairs for Columbia University.

Ucelli has also served in two of the nation’s most complex and demanding government communications positions.  For the last two years of President Clinton’s term, she was Assistant to the President and Director of White House Communications. She was among the President’s closest advisors and a key actor in framing White House communications on economic, trade, education, healthcare and national security issues. In the news release announcing her appointment President Clinton said, “I can think of no better person than Loretta to convey our administration’s vision for building a stronger nation in the 21st century.” Prior to her White House appointment, she was Associate Administrator for Communications, Education and Public Affairs with the Environmental Protection Agency. There, she served as chief spokesperson with all audiences, modernized the Agency’s environmental education program, extended its direct outreach to the American people and transformed public understanding of the agency’s role.

Her extensive communications experience also includes work as a consultant advising corporate and public sector clients on crisis management as well as executive positions with a pro choice non-profit organization, a trade association and a public employee labor union. She has a wide range of political campaign experience and she has also been a news editor and on-air reporter for radio stations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Ucelli was born in Staten Island, New York, and currently lives in Manhattan. She graduated from West Virginia University with a BS in journalism and was named to that school’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni in 2002. She is involved in a variety of civic and professional organizations.