Check out my book, Shit Show: An Unexpected Life in Crisis and Risk Management published in March 2024 — available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Matt Charles Public Relations+Strategy is a boutique consultancy with offices in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Chautauqua, New York, founded to help law firms, corporations, start-ups, higher education institutions, nonprofits, governments and brand-conscious individuals achieve their strategic communications goals. With a focus on you — the client — Matt’s values are rooted in relationships and customer service, plain and simple. 

A former spokesperson for the University of Virginia during the tragic events of August 11th and 12th in Charlottesville, Matt not only understands how to navigate crises, he knows how to engage with stakeholders through persuasion and influence techniques rooted in cognitive science to advance your brand. Stakeholders are both internal and external and include employees, shareholders, customers, media, donors, grantmakers, students and governments. Given that strategic communications weaves into strategy and operations, more often than not Matt has been asked to provide counsel on these critical aspects of the organization.

The first thing Matt asks of clients is that you have candid and honest conversations. Just as much as you need to know how Matt can help you achieve your strategic communications goals, Matt needs to know your strengths and weaknesses, why your work drives you and where you want to be in the future. It is through this open channel of communication that Matt can hone your organization’s message to targeted audiences through an integrated communications approach that includes paid (marketing), earned (media relations), social (social media platforms) and owned media (your website and other media that you control, such as blogs).

Years of on-the-ground work and case study teaching at top-tier graduate schools that include Purdue University, Georgetown University and the University of Virginia has helped Matt understand what it takes to help influence positively stakeholder behavior, improve community relationships, maintain a solid reputation for your organization and help you navigate crises with an objective perspective.

Matt is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and holds his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) certification — a mark of distinction, results-oriented outcomes and ethics in the public relations industry.

In May 2021, Matt was presented Georgetown University’s Tropaia Outstanding Faculty Award for excellence in teaching. In August 2018, Matt was appointed to the Fulbright Specialist Communications and Journalism roster  — a unique opportunity for U.S. academics and established professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe.

As a former New York City special investigator working sex and drug crimes involving children, Matt can work under high-stakes pressure.