When you need to connect the dots between your business objectives, policy ambitions, and communications aims, Pierce Media and Public Affairs can help. We offer a discreet, bespoke service. We have 40 years of experience to help you create strategic solutions to advance your policy, business and media objectives with a tactical execution that nimbly navigates the ever-changing political and media landscape.
About
William A. Pierce is a public policy advocate with 40 years of experience. In 2025 he created Pierce Media and Public Affairs (PMPA) to help clients strategically and tactically navigate the media landscape, and devise solutions to advance policy, business and media objectives. Bill has extensive crisis management and media training expertise. He speaks with the media as a subject matter expert on health care and politics as well as writes for public consumption.
Prior to creating PMPA, Bill worked at APCO for 20 years. At APCO, he provided strategic advice and counsel, tactical execution and representation to a wide range of clients in health care and other sectors, all facing challenging circumstances as well as great opportunity. He helped clients develop strategies and tactics that often-combined media relations, message and policy development, issue advocacy, and alliance development for campaigns to achieve definable objectives. During his tenure at APCO, Bill also served as the pro-bono spokesperson to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.
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Areas of expertise include Congress, politics, health care reform, public health, policy development, health IT regulatory reform, the FDA regulatory process, Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP policy, Bioterrorism, HHS, CDC and NIH. Bill also works on First Amendment protection issues and disability rights. His experience includes working with companies and organizations in health IT, public health, pharmacy benefit management, health insurance, hospital, pharmaceutical (biopharmaceutical), and medical devices, as well as disability rights organizations, higher education, and in the faith community (First Amendment issues).
Before APCO, Bill served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). At HHS Bill served at the forefront of some of the country’s most challenging and unexpected health policy and public health debates. Beginning with President Bush’s 2001 announcement regarding the first ever stem cell policy, the 9/11 and anthrax attacks, the Medicare Modernization debate, passage, and implementation, the creation of the Presidents Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the flu vaccine shortage and the debate over Medicaid reform. During it all, Bill stood on the frontlines as the spokesperson for HHS and one of HHS’ key public affairs advisors.
At HHS he served on the Secretary’s Privacy Council, HIPAA Council, Global Health Policy Core Group, and other ad hoc policy HHS committees. Bill was a U.S. delegation member to several World Health Organization meetings as well as Davos and took part in several international trips including a 5-nation visit to Africa. Bill was also public affairs representative on the Better Benefits Tours; two four city tours promoting the need for better benefits in Medicare that preceded Congressional debate and passage. The tours included the FDA Commissioner, Surgeon General, CDC Director, and NIH Director. Bill was also the spokesman for the flu vaccine shortage campaign and national tour. During his tenure Bill acted as the temporary Director of the Public Affairs Office at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Prior to HHS, Bill worked for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) as Director, Public Affairs. Prior to BCBSA he served as the Press Secretary for Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA). and Rep. Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Before working on the Hill, Bill was Director of Communications for the National Taxpayers Union, an Account Executive for Hill & Knowlton, and a Research Associate with Government Research Corporation. He began his career in Washington as a Research Analyst for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Bill is currently an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University in the Department of Organizational Communications teaching courses in communications. From 2010 to 2015, he was an Adjunct Professor at The Johns Hopkins University, Advanced Academic Programs, teaching media relations, crisis communications and grassroots communications.
Bill has contributed pieces to MedPage Today, The Hill, Real Clear Politics, Real Clear Health, Huffington Post and The Messenger. He has written chapters for,Communication in a Healthcare Crisis and Risky Business: PAC Decision-Making in Congressional Elections.
He is President, Board Member/Executive Committee Member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Alumni Association and a member of the Board of Visitors of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. As a member of the National Press Club, Bill serves on the Speaker’s Committee. He served on the Board of Directors for the Give Back Foundation, a national donor-assisted fund, and the Board of Directors for the Woodley House, a Washington, D.C. organization that helps people with mental illness live full and healthy lives with dignity.
Bill earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and English and a master’s degree in international and public affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1998, he also earned the designation of Professional from the Academy for Healthcare Management.
Services
We work with you to create media strategies that get you and your ideas in front of the right audience and provide tactical execution as necessary. But sometimes, you only want your ideas in the media environment, and with 40 years of experience working with the media, Pierce Media and Public Affairs can help with discrete tactical execution. One of our guiding principles is that “The worst first time to reach out to the media is when you need or want their attention.” We can help you make sure this doesn’t happen to you by helping you develop relationships with key reporters before you need them and provide media training if necessary.
Media Relations
Crises are defined by you. Having worked on some of biggest crises in the last 40 years, Pierce Media and Public Affairs has the experience and know-how needed to help you successfully navigate a curious media. We can help you develop a plan and response in real time. More importantly, we can also help you develop a crisis communications plan before a crisis hits. It’ll be the best investment you hope you’ll never have to tap.
Crisis Communications
Public Affairs & Strategic Communications
Sometimes you need to bring together your media relations, thought leadership, writing, advocacy and partnership tools to achieve your organization’s objectives. Pierce Media and Public Affairs specializes in developing public affairs strategies and campaigns that bring these elements together to achieve defined objectives.
Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility
We help you identify the best messages and right platforms to amplify executive voices and ideas that elevate their profiles and enhance the reputation of the organization.
With 40 years of experience helping organizations develop messages to support campaigns, we can help you develop messaging to support your political, policy and business objectives. Too often good policy ideas fail because messages were not developed as part of policy development. We can make sure this does not happen to you.