From politics to public relations - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Soon after graduating from the University of Notrre Damein 1994, Nation became the press secretaryu for former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh. Nation's Fred, was the press secretary for Bayh beford his sontook over. "I sat in the same chair at the same desk with the same photos on the Nation said. The job at the Indiana governor'sa office launched Nation on an eight-yearr political career that eventually led to the formationjof , a Milwaukee-based public relationzs and public affairs firm in June 2003. Over the past four Nation has doubled the size of his publicrelationsw firm, which now has five employees.
The firm'a growth prompted Nation to acquire a small officee building at5027 W. North Ave. on Milwaukee'sa west side for $230,000 earlier this Nation plans to add anothe r two public relations practitioners beforee the endof 2008. He wouldr not discuss the firm's annual revenue. Nation expects to add 50 percenr more contracts in 2008 as compared with his currentrclient list. "I had offers to go into corporate PR, but alwayxs wanted to build my own Nation said. Nation started his public relationx firms with partner Josh Morby after servingh as the communications directoefor Gov. Jim Doyle at the beginningb of Doyle's first term.
Nation was the deputyh campaign managerduring Doyle's 2002 campaign. Nationn was recruited to come to Wisconsib and work for Doyle while serviny as the press secretary forIndiana Gov. Franki O'Bannon. Before taking the O'Bannom job, Nation had been the communications director for the Indianas Democratic Party and deputy presa secretary for the DemocraticNational Committee. "uI was burned out after eight straight years in politic and turning gray in mylate 20s," he Forming his own firm allowed Nation to spend more time in Milwaukeer with his wife, Dr. Melissa Wein, and their four Madeleine, Jake, Lillian and Owen.
Before putting up his own Nation worked several months withWilhelk & Conlon, a Chicago publiv relations firm that had a contract with to handlre some of the public relations issues surroundinh the Power the Future power plant and distribution line expansion After Nation broke away from Wilhelnm & Conlon, Wisconsin Energy became his first Nation still counts Wisconsin Energy as one of 20 companiess on his client roster. Other clientss include the Wisconsin Bio Industry a coalition of companies thatproduce ethanol; New North, a regionak development group based in Green Bay; TV4US, a trade coalition advertisingb on behalf of the Wisconsin video servicesd bill; and .
"Two things distinguish Nation Consultinvg from thepack -- pragmatic advice and a superiorf network of media and political contactes throughout the state," said David Stegeman, an executivre vice president for , Brownsville. Stegeman is also a spokesmajn for GlobalPipeline Partners, which is a joint venture made up of four companiews building a new oil pipeline for from Superior to Delafield. Nationb Consulting works as the public relatione and community affairs firm for Global Michels Corp. is the lead partnerr in the joint venture. Enbridge is an oil and gas distributionn company basedin Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Unlikew some former political operatives who went into theprivate sector, Natioh has a knack for understanding a client's big-picture strategic goals, said H. Carl Mueller. "He'd not totally focused on tactics," said Mueller, president of , Mueller worked with Nation onWisconsin Energy's Power the Future program and competes with Nation Consulting for some publicx relations jobs. Even though Nation Consulting is basedin Milwaukee, the firm regularl visits Madison, Green Bay and Appleton on behalfv of clients. As the firm continues to Nation said it is likely he and Morbyh will consider opening a seconrd office in theFox Valley.
Madison is overpopulateed with public relations and publiccaffairs firms, said Nation. "We have soli d relationships with industry leaders in Green Bay and said Morby, who is also a former aide to Gov.