JOEL EPSTEIN
COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

PROFILE

Communications and campaign strategist, government affairs professional and award-winning writer.

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EXPERIENCE

Communications Strategy | New York & Los Angeles | 2003 — 2005, 2009 — Present

Principal

• Author of the Measure M report for Los Angeles Metro,

• Author of Transportation Innovation in Five Cities, Accelerator for America.

• Transportation writer for HNTB.​

• Partnership development, outreach, communications and campaign strategist for L.A. Metro’s Measures M and J,

and in support of improved transportation and economic development in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere.

• Informed readers about employee engagement, transportation and business innovation in Asia, Europe, Latin 

America, the Middle East and North America through writing for Substack, HuffPost and other publications.​​​

• Senior policy advisor to Brooklyn Community Services (BCS).

• Experience managing employees and consultants and in project management.

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The Wonderful Company (Roll Global LLC) & The Resnick Foundation | Los Angeles | 2005 — 2009

Director of Charitable Giving & Political Director

• Created and managed the operations of the employee and community engagement program at The Wonderful

Company and ran The Resnick Foundation. Helped raise corporate profile and achieve measurable results in

employee recruitment and retention for the $4B global holding company and its subsidiaries in agricultural and

consumer product goods.​​​

• Vetted thousands of proposals in the education, health, arts, environmental and biomedical fields. Helped create​ a

company-founded college preparatory charter school in Delano, CA.​

• Built and managed a unique, bilingual English/Spanish employee giving program serving 3,500 employees in

10 countries. Grew participation from zero to 98 percent and $2.4 M; directed distribution of $16M in grants;

administered the proceeds of a $25 M legal settlement to 15 international organizations and charities.​​​​

• Set performance metrics, directed development of communications plans and counseled C-level executives

on meeting community investment objectives.

• Crisis communications advising on criticism about the export of bottled water from Fiji to North America, Europe

and Asia and animal testing.​

• Vetted political candidates; speech writing for C suite executives.

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Education Development Center, Inc. | Boston & Los Angeles | 1996 —2003

Senior Attorney & Director of Special Projects

• Advised university attorneys, risk managers, college administrators, parents, students and others on legal and

policy matters and operations.

• Crisis communications advising to colleges and universities.

• Proposal writing and project management, business and partnership development.

Abt Associates Inc. | Cambridge, MA | 1992 — 1996

Analyst

• Directed research studies on best practices in social policy and environmental enforcement. Studied police

department and prosecutors office operations.

• Coauthored monographs on health, housing and criminal justice policy for policy makers, prosecutors and law

enforcement.

• Project management, proposal development.

​1987 — 1992: Worked as an associate and practiced law in California and Massachusetts.