Meet the Team

COLBURN AKER
Managing Partner

Colburn Aker founded the nation's only partner-directed communications and marketing firm in 1983. With a career spanning more than three decades, he is now recognized as one of the nation's most experienced public relations counselors. Unique strategies, creative ideas, and extraordinary results are hallmarks of his work for more than 500 clients.

As a sign of the respect he enjoys among his peers, in 2003, he was elected president of the Public Relations Global Network, Inc., an invitation only network of leading independent agencies with more than 50 offices worldwide. The Aker Partners serves as the Washington office.

Highlights of Aker's career include creating what the world's largest technology consulting firm called its best brand promotion program worldwide, and developing effective crisis communications and designing successful image strategies for some of the nation's largest corporations. He has saved clients millions of dollars with powerful public affairs programs, planned the first public relations programs for more than 100 clients, exceeded sales projections with creative marketing campaigns, launched first-of-their-kind technology programs, and managed the nation's largest grassroots public relations campaign.

Aker has provided counsel to political and business leaders since graduating with a Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University in 1968. After serving as a Captain and Judge Advocate in the Air Force, he began a private law practice before joining a Presidential campaign. He also was a top advisor to U.S. Senator John Culver and managed his successful statewide Senate campaign.

In 1977, Aker became the first full-time lobbyist for the corporate clients of Hill and Knowlton, and later became the number two person in the office, until his departure in 1983. Admitted to practice law in three jurisdictions, he was a partner in his own law firm before leaving to devote full-time to public relations.

He has represented more than 500 clients, including Accenture, BP, DuPont, Ford Motor, Gateway, Honeywell, Mazda, Monsanto, Moore Medical, Newspaper Association, Revlon, Rolls-Royce, U.S. Mint, U.S. Olympic Committee, and more than 100 industry associations.

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