San Francisco Magazine’s “Power Issue” called Nathan Ballard a “preeminent media whisperer” who represents “a veritable Yellow Pages of powerful clients.” Ballard was Governor Gavin Newsom’s communications director when Newsom served as mayor of San Francisco. The New York Times said Ballard had “a sixth sense as to when to step in for his boss.”
Ballard has also been a communications director for the Democratic National Committee, the California Democratic Party, and the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. He was a market leader and managing director at Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations agency. He served on the board of The Representation Project, Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s nonprofit organization.
Ballard, a former deputy city attorney, has been a communications advisor to Fortune 100 companies, major tech figures, the Golden State Warriors, Super Bowl 50, and San Francisco’s Olympic bid. He was a spokesman for presidential candidates Senator John Kerry and General Wesley Clark.