Tracy Fitzgerald

Tracy has extensive experience with developing and implementing public affairs, marketing campaigns and strategies for local, national and international media coverage specifically in the defense industry.

Most recently, for four years Tracy served as manager for executive and internal communications at BAE Systems. She was the lead senior writer for the sector president drafting bi-weekly messages, blogs, company notices, photography, and web stories. She coordinated internal communications programs and supported BAE and all Land & Armament functional teams for internal program launches, campaigns and messaging.

After leaving the Pentagon, Tracy was part of Heartland Communications where she planned campaigns and media strategies and proposed and pitched news cycle story ideas and delivered timely news information on behalf of clients via Twitter and Facebook.

Prior to this role Tracy was selected to join the staff at the Headquarters Department of the Army at the Pentagon, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs as a Public Affairs Specialist to manage the Army’s Operation Tribute to Freedom contract ($1.4 million). In this position, she proposed Army stories to news media and senior Army leadership to bring attention to the Army and to honor Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Before joining the staff at the Pentagon, Tracy worked as a Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist for the United States Army. She played a lead role in formulating the communications strategies for one of the most high profile Army military commands in the national capital region: The Major Command Headquarters Military District of Washington. Located at the U.S. Army’s Fort Leslie J. McNair in Washington, D.C., Tracy was responsible for building and marketing the Army’s largest community outreach program, the multi-media, live action, “Spirit of America.”

Just two months after assuming her position at the Military District of Washington in 2001, Tracy was faced with a crisis communications emergency unlike anything ever known: 9/11. She coordinated with local media to inform the nation as to the recovery operation at the Pentagon and the military’s response.

Tracy was also placed at the forefront of a mission of vital importance to both the nation, and to history – the death of former President Ronald Reagan which marked the first State Funeral Washington had seen in nearly 30 years. Tracy led all media operations. Acting as the site control officer at the Washington National Cathedral, she coordinated the complicated media logistics and security credentialing for 150+ global media outlets.

Tracy began her career and spent five years at two of the top public relations firms in the nation, Shandwick Public Affairs and Edelman Public Relations Worldwide providing media counsel to foreign governments and high-tech clients. At Shandwick, she successfully trained and led advance teams in the planning and execution of special events, legislative issues and media relations. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Ohio State University. Tracy is married to a political news reporter. They live in DC with their 12-year-old daughter.