Scott Stanzel
Encyclopedia
Scott Michael Stanzel was a political appointee in the administration of President of the United States
George W. Bush
. On October 16, 2006, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow
announced that President Bush had named the Iowa
native to a position as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary.
Stanzel is the son of Ned and Chelon Stanzel, and grew up in Sac City, Iowa
, where his father raised cattle and hogs.
He graduated from Iowa State University
in 1995. In 2005, Stanzel received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the Iowa State University Alumni Association. In 2007, he was elected to the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Stanzel also serves on the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication Advisory Council at Iowa State University.
Stanzel is a member of Phi Delta Theta
fraternity. He served as president of the Iowa Gamma chapter while attending Iowa State University.
Stanzel currently lives in Seattle, Washington, where he founded Stanzel Communications, a firm providing public relations strategy, crisis communications and media training services to corporate clients, government leaders and political candidates.
In the summer and fall of 2010, Stanzel served as campaign manager for Defeat 1098. Ballot initiative 1098 would have established a state income tax in Washington for the first time. Defeat 1098 was successful in stopping the proposed tax, prevailing by nearly 30 points - a significant turnaround considering the 39 point deficit in the first public poll taken on the issue in the spring. Washington will remain one of seven states with no state income tax.
Stanzel graduated from Sac Community High School in Sac City, Iowa, in 1991. In May 1995, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Iowa State University.
Upon graduating from college, he went to work for the Dole for President campaign as the Northwest Iowa Field Representative. Following Senator Bob Dole’s victory in the Iowa Caucuses, Stanzel was recruited to serve as the Deputy Finance Director for the Lightfoot for U.S. Senate campaign. In January 1997, he was hired as the Assistant Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
In September 1999, Stanzel left the Grassley office to work for the Bush for President campaign. After serving in communications roles in several primary states, at the campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas, and on the Florida Recount Team in Tallahassee during the historic post-election recount, Stanzel was selected to be a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney Transition Team, which guided President-elect Bush’s Cabinet nominees during the Senate confirmation process. When President Bush was inaugurated in January 2001, Stanzel was asked to become a White House spokesman. He served in the White House Office of Media Affairs, where he was the primary spokesman for President Bush for reporters serving news outlets in 14 Midwestern and Industrial Belt states.
In August of 2003, Stanzel accepted a position with President Bush’s reelection campaign. In his role as Press Secretary at Bush-Cheney ’04, Stanzel traveled with President Bush to campaign events throughout the country serving as national campaign spokesman to television, radio, newspaper and wire reporters covering the campaign. After President Bush’s election victory, Stanzel became a Senior Communications Advisor to the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Following President Bush’s second inauguration in 2005, Stanzel moved to the private sector to work for Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington, as a Senior Public Relations Manager. In this position, he planned media relations activities and served as a spokesman for Microsoft on security issues.
On November 29, 2006, President Bush’s appointment of Stanzel to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary brought his return to the White House. In this role, Stanzel served as a spokesman for President Bush on a variety of issues, including homeland security, education, agriculture and energy. As Deputy Press Secretary, he worked on the front lines with the most talented and aggressive reporters in the world. Stanzel conducted numerous on camera briefings in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House and at the “Western White House” in Crawford, Texas. Stanzel regularly prepared President Bush for media interviews and developed the strategy for the lengthy series of final interviews the President conducted over the last months of his time in office.
He is an avid runner and triathlete. In September 2008, Stanzel completed the 140.6 mile ultra distance Ironman Wisconsin triathlon in 12 hours 27 minutes. In July 2009, he finished Ironman Switzerland in just over 11 hours. Stanzel is an active volunteer for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where he works to raise money to help find a cure and better treatments for blood cancers.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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....
. On October 16, 2006, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow
Tony Snow
Robert Anthony "Tony" Snow was an American journalist, political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, radio host, musician, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and...
announced that President Bush had named the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
native to a position as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary.
Stanzel is the son of Ned and Chelon Stanzel, and grew up in Sac City, Iowa
Sac City, Iowa
Sac City is a city in and the county seat of Sac County, Iowa, United States, located in the rolling hills along the valley of the North Raccoon River, in one of America's prime agricultural regions. U.S. Route 20 bisects the city, forming its Main Street, and the city is one of 45 designated Main...
, where his father raised cattle and hogs.
He graduated from Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
in 1995. In 2005, Stanzel received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the Iowa State University Alumni Association. In 2007, he was elected to the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Stanzel also serves on the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication Advisory Council at Iowa State University.
Stanzel is a member of Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity. He served as president of the Iowa Gamma chapter while attending Iowa State University.
Career
Scott Stanzel has served in high profile communications roles for nearly 15 years. As a spokesman and media adviser for a United States Senator, the President of the United States and one of the most scrutinized Fortune 500 companies, Stanzel has managed communications strategy on many of the biggest news stories in recent times.Stanzel currently lives in Seattle, Washington, where he founded Stanzel Communications, a firm providing public relations strategy, crisis communications and media training services to corporate clients, government leaders and political candidates.
In the summer and fall of 2010, Stanzel served as campaign manager for Defeat 1098. Ballot initiative 1098 would have established a state income tax in Washington for the first time. Defeat 1098 was successful in stopping the proposed tax, prevailing by nearly 30 points - a significant turnaround considering the 39 point deficit in the first public poll taken on the issue in the spring. Washington will remain one of seven states with no state income tax.
Stanzel graduated from Sac Community High School in Sac City, Iowa, in 1991. In May 1995, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Iowa State University.
Upon graduating from college, he went to work for the Dole for President campaign as the Northwest Iowa Field Representative. Following Senator Bob Dole’s victory in the Iowa Caucuses, Stanzel was recruited to serve as the Deputy Finance Director for the Lightfoot for U.S. Senate campaign. In January 1997, he was hired as the Assistant Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).
In September 1999, Stanzel left the Grassley office to work for the Bush for President campaign. After serving in communications roles in several primary states, at the campaign headquarters in Austin, Texas, and on the Florida Recount Team in Tallahassee during the historic post-election recount, Stanzel was selected to be a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney Transition Team, which guided President-elect Bush’s Cabinet nominees during the Senate confirmation process. When President Bush was inaugurated in January 2001, Stanzel was asked to become a White House spokesman. He served in the White House Office of Media Affairs, where he was the primary spokesman for President Bush for reporters serving news outlets in 14 Midwestern and Industrial Belt states.
In August of 2003, Stanzel accepted a position with President Bush’s reelection campaign. In his role as Press Secretary at Bush-Cheney ’04, Stanzel traveled with President Bush to campaign events throughout the country serving as national campaign spokesman to television, radio, newspaper and wire reporters covering the campaign. After President Bush’s election victory, Stanzel became a Senior Communications Advisor to the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Following President Bush’s second inauguration in 2005, Stanzel moved to the private sector to work for Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington, as a Senior Public Relations Manager. In this position, he planned media relations activities and served as a spokesman for Microsoft on security issues.
On November 29, 2006, President Bush’s appointment of Stanzel to be Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary brought his return to the White House. In this role, Stanzel served as a spokesman for President Bush on a variety of issues, including homeland security, education, agriculture and energy. As Deputy Press Secretary, he worked on the front lines with the most talented and aggressive reporters in the world. Stanzel conducted numerous on camera briefings in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House and at the “Western White House” in Crawford, Texas. Stanzel regularly prepared President Bush for media interviews and developed the strategy for the lengthy series of final interviews the President conducted over the last months of his time in office.
He is an avid runner and triathlete. In September 2008, Stanzel completed the 140.6 mile ultra distance Ironman Wisconsin triathlon in 12 hours 27 minutes. In July 2009, he finished Ironman Switzerland in just over 11 hours. Stanzel is an active volunteer for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where he works to raise money to help find a cure and better treatments for blood cancers.