Gary Goldhammer

Gary Goldhammer is a digital communications strategist with more than 21 years of experience in online marketing, advertising, public relations, public affairs and journalism. He has built and led regional/global teams, creating innovative best-in-class programs for clients including Adobe, eBay, HP, Nike and The Walt Disney Company. He currently serves as Executive Vice President, West Coast Client Service, for Velocidi, a digital agency with offices in New York and San Francisco.

Gary previously served as Senior Vice President, Digital Strategy and Development, for Edelman. He grew the West Coast digital business from a handful of people in 2007 to more than 65 people in 2010, generating millions in new annual revenue and securing key accounts including eBay, HP and Adobe.

Prior to Edelman, Gary served as President of MarCom:Interactive, a marketing communications company he co-founded in 1999. While at MarCom, Gary helped clients take full advantage of new technologies including blogs, RSS, social networks, mobile and 3D virtual environments. He also managed business development and client service functions.

Gary conducts public and private corporate seminars on digital marketing, social media and journalism trends. An award-winning writer and communicator, his primary expertise is in the changing role of the news media and how new journalism trends are affecting public relations, marketing and business. His second book, "The Last Newspaper: Reflections on the Future of News," was published in 2010.

Before MarCom, Gary served as Vice President for Nelson Communications Group (now Porter-Novelli) in Orange County, CA. There, Gary managed two of their major accounts, Unocal 76 and The Walt Disney Company, and garnered two Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil awards for the agency. He created the statewide agency’s first digital public relations practice in 1995 and was among the first in the industry to use the Internet for public affairs campaigns and corporate communications. Gary's work on behalf of clients has earned coverage from national and regional publications and programs, including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Time Digital, BusinessWeek and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Gary worked as a journalist for the Associated Press, United Press International, the Ventura County Star and Thompson Newspapers, among others. He is the author of a non-fiction book on the death penalty, and his articles and commentary are published in the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, and in Internet trade publications.

Gary graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1989. His favorite American Idol of all time is 2006 winner Taylor Hicks. But he doesn't tell that to a lot of people, as it's pretty embarrassing.

Oh, and one more thing so he doesn't get in trouble: The opinions expressed on Below the Fold are his, all his, and do not necessarily reflect the views of his employer. Sure, they could, but best not to assume.