Meet the HSPA Team: Laird F. Harris

Laird provides strategic analysis and advice on public policy issues, leads major communication planning projects, facilitates efforts to resolve disputes and identify common interests among government and private sector officials, and works with executive teams and boards of directors on strategic planning for public affairs. He is also a teacher and coach – training individuals and groups in effective public advocacy skills, teaching strategic communications at the University of Washington and coaching executives as they respond to difficult public relations problems.

In a public affairs career spanning 40 years, Laird has encountered virtually every kind of public affairs and public relations challenge and provided calm, effective solutions. His government experience included creating and leading a policy staff for a governor's office, directing major federal programs as a presidential appointee, working as the executive assistant to a sheriff and serving as an officer on a Navy destroyer. Since founding Harris & Smith in 1987, Laird has consulted with many types of organizations including major businesses, health care organizations, state and local K-12 school leaders and non-profits.

Laird is a graduate of Wesleyan University (CT), did graduate work in political science at the University of Michigan and completed both the Program for Senior State & Local Government Executives at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School and the Program for Executive Leadership & Management at the Federal Executive Institute at Charlottesville, VA.