William Nixon
Encyclopedia
William Holladay Nixon is chairman and chief executive of Policy Impact Communications, Inc., a full-service public- and government relations company. After working as a speechwriter
for President Ronald Reagan
, Nixon served for more than 15 years as a senior staff member and speech writer on Capitol Hill, the majority of the time with Republican Senator William Roth of Delaware
. He also worked for Republican Senator Orrin Hatch
of Utah
, and on the professional staffs of the United States Senate Committee on Finance
and Government Affairs Committee
. Nixon is also the author of several published books. The first, Strategic Compromise, was published in 1990.
, where his father, a current Federal Immigration Judge, worked as an attorney and corporate CEO. He first became involved in politics as a 16-year-old in the 1976 Senate campaign of Orrin Hatch
. It was during that campaign that he became interested in the relationship between politicians, public policy, the media, and the power of persuasive communication. After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sevilla, Spain, he graduated with honors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
, where he attended on a football scholarship, playing center with future National Football League
quarterback
Randall Cunningham
, and was the editor-in-chief of The Rebel Yell, the student newspaper. He later studied political communications at the University of Maryland
.
In 1998, he co-authored The Power to Destroy
with Senator William Roth. The book was an exposé documenting the historic Senate oversight hearings involving the Internal Revenue Service
.
Nixon's most recent book, Over the Top, a collection of his CUP Magazine articles in English and Mandarin, was published in 2008.
, former chairman of the Republican National Committee
and chairman of Policy Impact Communications, Inc., to serve as president of the company which was founded by, among others, Barbour
and Ed Gillespie
in 1996. Upon Barbour's election to serve as Governor of Mississippi
in 2003, Nixon became chairman of Policy Impact.
Prior to joining Policy Impact, Nixon served as president and chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association from 1999 to 2001, where he was credited with merging three separate industry associations into a single and more politically powerful organization.
Today Nixon remains active in community service. He is a Fellow at the University of Utah
's Hinckley Institute of Politics
and serves as a member of the National Presidential Advisory Board at Utah Valley University. He frequently lectures and writes on the topics of communications and politics.
Nixon is also frequently called upon to speak on governmental issues to groups throughout the country.
Speechwriter
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors.-Skills and training:...
for President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Nixon served for more than 15 years as a senior staff member and speech writer on Capitol Hill, the majority of the time with Republican Senator William Roth of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. He also worked for Republican Senator Orrin Hatch
Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, and on the professional staffs of the United States Senate Committee on Finance
United States Senate Committee on Finance
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
and Government Affairs Committee
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
The United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to the Department of Homeland Security and other homeland security concerns, as well as the functioning of the government itself, including the National Archives, budget and...
. Nixon is also the author of several published books. The first, Strategic Compromise, was published in 1990.
Childhood & Youth
Nixon grew up in Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, where his father, a current Federal Immigration Judge, worked as an attorney and corporate CEO. He first became involved in politics as a 16-year-old in the 1976 Senate campaign of Orrin Hatch
Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant Hatch is the senior United States Senator for Utah and is a member of the Republican Party. Hatch served as the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1993 to 2005...
. It was during that campaign that he became interested in the relationship between politicians, public policy, the media, and the power of persuasive communication. After serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sevilla, Spain, he graduated with honors from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
, where he attended on a football scholarship, playing center with future National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
, and was the editor-in-chief of The Rebel Yell, the student newspaper. He later studied political communications at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
Journalism & Literary Career
Nixon began his professional career as a journalist, founding and editing American Times Magazine, a regional conservative publication that focused on politics and culture, and working as associate editor of The Las Vegan City Magazine. He served as editor of Quicksilver, a literary journal, and in 1990 published his first book, a novel entitled Strategic Compromise. Nixon's articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in magazines and journals throughout the world. His work is translated regularly, particularly into Mandarin, Chinese, as he is a monthly contributor to the popular CUP Magazine, often referred to as China's Vanity Fair.In 1998, he co-authored The Power to Destroy
The Power to Destroy
The Power to Destroy was co-written by former Republican Senator William Roth and William Nixon. The bookoutlines most important findings from a 1997 series of congressional hearingson the Internal Revenue Service that uncovered horrifying abuses against taxpayers.Roth and Nixon expose the truth...
with Senator William Roth. The book was an exposé documenting the historic Senate oversight hearings involving the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
.
Nixon's most recent book, Over the Top, a collection of his CUP Magazine articles in English and Mandarin, was published in 2008.
Washington career
In 2001, Nixon was hired by Haley BarbourHaley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
, former chairman of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
and chairman of Policy Impact Communications, Inc., to serve as president of the company which was founded by, among others, Barbour
Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
and Ed Gillespie
Ed Gillespie
Edward W. Gillespie is an American Republican political strategist and former Counselor to the President in the George W. Bush White House. Gillespie, along with Jack Quinn, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore, founded Quinn Gillespie & Associates, a bipartisan lobbying firm...
in 1996. Upon Barbour's election to serve as Governor of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
in 2003, Nixon became chairman of Policy Impact.
Prior to joining Policy Impact, Nixon served as president and chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association from 1999 to 2001, where he was credited with merging three separate industry associations into a single and more politically powerful organization.
Today Nixon remains active in community service. He is a Fellow at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
's Hinckley Institute of Politics
Hinckley Institute of Politics
The Hinckley Institute of Politics is a bipartisan institute located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its purpose is to engage students in practical politics and in governmental, civic and political processes. It aims to promote a better understanding and appreciation of...
and serves as a member of the National Presidential Advisory Board at Utah Valley University. He frequently lectures and writes on the topics of communications and politics.
Nixon is also frequently called upon to speak on governmental issues to groups throughout the country.