Areas of Expertise: Award winning campaign strategy development and implementation; lobbying; coalition building at the local, state and federal levels; natural resource issue management; marketing plan development; grassroots and grasstops outreach.

20+ years

Paul Phillips is one of the leading public affairs and political campaign strategists active today. With more than 30 years of professional experience in politics, marketing and issues management, Paul has an impressive track record of designing and implementing successful programs, initiatives, and campaigns on a wide range of issues such as taxation, transportation, construction, sportsman/conservation, natural resources, health care, facility siting and permitting, and energy.

Paul began his political career in 1978 while working on the successful Oregon gubernatorial campaign of Victor G. Atiyeh. After five years working as assistant to Governor Atiyeh, Paul was hired by Nike, Inc., to manage communication development. In late 1983, while working at Nike, Phillips was appointed to the State House of Representatives. After successfully winning two elections, Phillips left the House and was elected to the State Senate where he served two terms.

While in the Senate and Chair of the Revenue Committee, Phillips helped facilitate major policy changes to Oregon's strategic investment programs which resulted in significant private sector investment stabilizing a changing economy in the Northwest. Later, in his professional life, he organized and led strong coalitions. One example is with Tektronix, Intel, Genentech, Precision Castparts, Nike, Schnitzer Steel, and Columbia Sportswear, among others, that resulted in a major and lasting overhaul of corporate apportionment taxation in Oregon.

In 1997, he and his wife, Nancy Phillips, began Pac/West Communications. Since then, Paul has grown Pac/West into one of the most successful political public relations and marketing firms in the region. Paul and Nancy have built a reputation as a national leader in the arena of behavioral change, whether they be national campaigns or statewide efforts.

Paul is well-known for winning difficult, and sometimes controversial, efforts. He has played lead roles in over 361 campaigns and initiatives across the United States, often securing key support from non-tradition allies, including passage of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (2003). He has managed a wide range of campaigns for candidates, including gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, Congressional, as well as statewide and local issue ballot measures on a wide variety of topics. Most recently, Paul was the chief architect and strategist for CRED and Protect Colorado which defeated attacks on the oil and natural gas industry in Colorado.

Paul was recently appointed to the Native American Youth and Family Center Advisory Board. He has also previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees Pacific University. Paul is a member and of Boone & Crockett Club. He is the Club liaison with the Western Governors' Association and serves as co-chair of the club's Conservation Policy Committee.

Paul has a B.A. in economics from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.