FTC’s Nat Wood Joins Rational 360 as Vice President
Policy Communications Expert Led Award-Winning Outreach and
Advocacy Campaigns for the Federal Trade Commission
WASHINGTON, DC (June 12, 2018) – Nat Wood, an award-winning communications leader for the Federal Trade Commission, has joined Rational 360, a full service strategic and digital communications firm, as a Vice President. At the FTC, Nat developed innovative national communications programs to educate audiences about complex policy issues like consumer privacy, cybersecurity, data breaches, identity management, credit reporting, telemarketing, personal finance, and online advertising.
“Nat knows how to get things done in Washington, DC, and influence people across the nation,” said Patrick Dorton, Managing Partner at Rational 360. “Our clients will benefit from his deep experience at the FTC with tech and advertising issues, his strategic insight, and his extensive knowledge of the regulatory, legal, and legislative arenas.”
Nat led the FTC’s Division of Consumer & Business Education – the unit responsible for teaching people about their consumer rights and businesses about how to comply with consumer protection law. He joined the FTC as an Assistant Director in the Bureau of Consumer Protection in 2001, and was promoted to the Bureau’s senior management team in 2014.
In 2018, Nat received the FTC’s award for distinguished service. In 2017, he was a finalist for a Service to America Medal from the Partnership for Public Service, for leading the team that created IdentityTheft.gov. The site has provided personalized recovery plans for more than a million identity theft victims, and received awards for innovative technology and plain language communications.
Nat also oversaw FTC campaigns to help older people avoid fraud, teach kids to understand advertising, encourage online safety, promote the rollout of the National Do Not Call Registry, improve companies’ data security practices, and safeguard servicemembers’ and veterans’ financial well-being. Those campaigns were recognized with national honors for plain language writing, design excellence, and effectiveness. He also led a complete overhaul of the agency’s website and revamped the system for ordering FTC publications.
At Rational 360, Nat will provide his expertise to client companies, associations, nonprofits, and federal agencies in areas including:
- Designing and leading strategic and crisis communications campaigns around federal agency policy proposals, rulemakings, or investigations.
- Planning and implementing consumer and business education campaigns, including strategies for changing consumer or employee behavior, or business practices.
- Designing clear disclosures for companies dealing with advertising issues, data breaches, financial disclosures, or other legal requirements, such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Building and managing influential coalitions of partner organizations.
- Conducting media trainings and strategy sessions.
Prior to joining the FTC, Nat was the Assistant Director of the National Park Service, responsible for external affairs. At the NPS, he worked to protect South Florida’s parks from pollution, helped increase funding for innovative park transportation projects, and promoted the diversity of the park system’s people, places, and stories. Nat is a graduate of Cornell University and has an MBA from George Washington University.
You can follow Nat on Twitter @NatWoodDC for insights and analysis on the FTC, politics, tech policy, and his beloved Newcastle United FC.
To learn more about Nat, visit his Rational 360 bio here.
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