Emily A. Lenzner is the Executive Vice President for Global Communications and Public Affairs at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) where she leads the association’s communications team in the U.S. and internationally.
Emily is one of the leading communications strategists in the media industry and is an expert in managing global, highly visible brands, non-profit organizations, corporations, and individuals. Previously, she served as the Senior Vice President, Global Communications and External Relations at Atlantic Media, where she oversaw communications strategy for all divisions of the media company, including The Atlantic, City Lab, National Journal Group, and Government Executive Media Group and its subsidiaries.
Since 2014, Emily has also been serving as spokesperson and media advisor to families of American hostages currently and previously held in the Middle East (detailed in the 2015 New Yorker article “Five Hostages”).
Prior to joining Atlantic Media in 2013, Emily was a managing director for public affairs and political consulting firm SKDKnickerbocker, where she strategized and managed a variety of national media campaigns for various corporations, non-profit organizations, and advocacy initiatives including Planned Parenthood, HBO, Highstar Capital, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, The New Republic, among others. She spent six years as the executive director of communications for ABC News in Washington, managing PR for programs This Week with George Stephanopoulos and Nightline and the network’s political coverage.
Prior to her return to Washington in 2003, Emily served as the press secretary for New York state gubernatorial candidate, Tom Golisano (2002) and ran communications for an instant messaging software company in New York (2000-2002).
She worked in film production for Diane Keaton’s production company in Hollywood, was a producer for a local news program in Seattle, and began her career in the White House as an assistant to George Stephanopoulos when he was senior advisor to President Bill Clinton.
Emily was named in-house PR Professional of the Year by PR Week in 2016 and is a 2016 PR WEEK Top Woman in PR. She is a graduate of Vassar College, where she earned a BA in English. She serves on the board of trustees for the Shakespeare Theatre Company and is a board member for Running Start and City Dance. She lives in Washington, DC with her son.
Current role