Mark Pfeifle
Encyclopedia
Mark Pfeifle was a top national security advisor
and communicator for President George W. Bush
. Mr. Pfeifle recently served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Global Outreach at the White House
.
Mr. Pfeifle was called to serve by the president in January 2007. He was the principal interagency coordinator for national security outreach and communication strategy. Mr. Pfeifle led the successful communication effort to promote the president’s “surge” of U.S. forces into Iraq, including a month-long stint in Baghdad. He worked on international communication initiatives to de-legitimize al Qaeda, to stop Iran from enriching uranium, to denuclearize North Korea, to achieve fair and free trade agreements and to advocate the causes of freedom, liberty and human rights to those suffering under brutal dictatorships.
On January 13, 2009, Fort Leavenworth
Commander and former Iraq War spokesman LTG William B. Caldwell
awarded Pfeifle the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award
for “dramatically improved communication planning and strategies...in support of the Global War on Terror.”
. From 2001 to 2004, as communication director and press secretary for Interior Secretary Gale Norton
, Mr. Pfeifle created messages to pass energy and conservation legislation and the president’s Healthy Forest Initiative. While at Interior, his official duties were quickly turned upside-down, when he experienced the violence of September 11 first-hand as one of the first communication advisors sent to Ground Zero in New York City.
Mr. Pfeifle took a second leave from Interior to become communications director for the 2004 Republican National Convention
-- an event resulting in an immediate 13-point bounce in public polling for the president. The convention produced 3400 TV, print, radio and Internet interviews. The event took the Internet by storm, with a powerful online operation that attracted more than 40 million web visitors and the first-ever “Bloggers’ Corner” for web journalists. Recognizing the importance of Hispanic outreach, he started the first-ever daily Spanish-language press briefings at a national convention.
In 2005, Mr. Pfeifle directed the Social Security Information Center at the U.S. Department of Treasury, leading the communication effort for the president’s arduous attempt to fix the Social Security system. Later that year, Mr. Pfeifle was assigned to the White House to focus on communication strategy for the Global War on Terror
. He also was called shortly after for a short tour as a senior communications advisor for Defense Secretary Robert Gates
.
. His first venture into journalism was at age 10 – authoring a nine-inch story about the local Mayville-Portland, North Dakota, Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball tournament. He graduated from the University of North Dakota
with a degree in communications and was sports editor of the school’s newspaper.
His first professional work was as the manager of a tiny radio station in Wishek. Shortly after he became the marketing and advertising director of the Grand Forks Air Force Base
newspaper and was a stringer and freelancer for The Associated Press and USA Today.
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
and communicator for President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Mr. Pfeifle recently served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Global Outreach at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
Mr. Pfeifle was called to serve by the president in January 2007. He was the principal interagency coordinator for national security outreach and communication strategy. Mr. Pfeifle led the successful communication effort to promote the president’s “surge” of U.S. forces into Iraq, including a month-long stint in Baghdad. He worked on international communication initiatives to de-legitimize al Qaeda, to stop Iran from enriching uranium, to denuclearize North Korea, to achieve fair and free trade agreements and to advocate the causes of freedom, liberty and human rights to those suffering under brutal dictatorships.
On January 13, 2009, Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
Commander and former Iraq War spokesman LTG William B. Caldwell
William B. Caldwell
William B. Caldwell, IV is a United States Army Lieutenant General who is serving as the Commander, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, as well as, Commanding General, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan....
awarded Pfeifle the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award
Outstanding Civilian Service Award
The Outstanding Civilian Service Award is the third highest honor within the Department of the Army Civilian Awards scheme, that the United States Department of the Army can bestow upon a private citizen.-Eligibility:...
for “dramatically improved communication planning and strategies...in support of the Global War on Terror.”
Career
From 1997 to 2001, Mr. Pfeifle helped lay the groundwork to elect President Bush, by serving as deputy communications director at the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
. From 2001 to 2004, as communication director and press secretary for Interior Secretary Gale Norton
Gale Norton
Gale Ann Norton served as the 48th United States Secretary of the Interior from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush...
, Mr. Pfeifle created messages to pass energy and conservation legislation and the president’s Healthy Forest Initiative. While at Interior, his official duties were quickly turned upside-down, when he experienced the violence of September 11 first-hand as one of the first communication advisors sent to Ground Zero in New York City.
Mr. Pfeifle took a second leave from Interior to become communications director for the 2004 Republican National Convention
2004 Republican National Convention
The 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
-- an event resulting in an immediate 13-point bounce in public polling for the president. The convention produced 3400 TV, print, radio and Internet interviews. The event took the Internet by storm, with a powerful online operation that attracted more than 40 million web visitors and the first-ever “Bloggers’ Corner” for web journalists. Recognizing the importance of Hispanic outreach, he started the first-ever daily Spanish-language press briefings at a national convention.
In 2005, Mr. Pfeifle directed the Social Security Information Center at the U.S. Department of Treasury, leading the communication effort for the president’s arduous attempt to fix the Social Security system. Later that year, Mr. Pfeifle was assigned to the White House to focus on communication strategy for the Global War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. He also was called shortly after for a short tour as a senior communications advisor for Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
.
Personal Background
Mr. Pfeifle grew up in Wishek, North DakotaWishek, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,122 people, 466 households, and 290 families residing in the city. The population density was 772.1 people per square mile . There were 532 housing units at an average density of 366.1 per square mile...
. His first venture into journalism was at age 10 – authoring a nine-inch story about the local Mayville-Portland, North Dakota, Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball tournament. He graduated from the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
with a degree in communications and was sports editor of the school’s newspaper.
His first professional work was as the manager of a tiny radio station in Wishek. Shortly after he became the marketing and advertising director of the Grand Forks Air Force Base
Grand Forks Air Force Base
Grand Forks Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located north of Emerado, North Dakota and approximately west of Grand Forks, North Dakota...
newspaper and was a stringer and freelancer for The Associated Press and USA Today.