CEO, Smith & Harroff, Inc.
Rick Morris is president and owner of Smith & Harroff, Inc. (S&H), a Washington-DC issues public relations and advertising firm with its roots based in electoral politics, state referenda, coalitions and public policy issues. He joined the firm in 1977 and has been involved in all aspects of corporate communications, public affairs consulting and advocacy advertising.
Morris has had primary responsibility for developing and implementing advertising and public affairs strategies for national image campaigns for clients such as the National Christmas Tree Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Alcan Aluminum Corporation. He has developed successful political advertising campaigns for industry coalitions such as the Coalition for Community Pharmacy Action, Keep USF Fair Coalition and the Alliance for Sound Nuclear Policy.
Morris has managed the day-to-day strategy for various coalitions creating and placing television, print, radio and Internet advertising, often times on extremely short notice, targeting state legislators, Members of Congress in their home districts/states and policymakers in Washington, DC. His advertising has provided these campaigns with clarity of message and resulted in consumer or voter support.
Morris is often a speaker at industry conferences and training seminars for groups such as the Regional Airline Association and Nuclear Energy Institute. He was selected by Westinghouse Electric Corporation to join a team of instructors providing communications training to utility executives in the U.S. and England.
Having served as Account Supervisor for many of Smith & Harroff’s clients, Morris was promoted to Vice President and Chief of Staff in 1985. In this newly created position, he provided account management to a select group of clients and overall management supervision of agency personnel and client accounts. In 1991, Morris became one of the firm’s Partners and in 2007; he was promoted to the position of President, and CEO.
Morris also has been a registered lobbyist and foreign agent for a Canadian corporation and Lebanese political party.
Morris is a frequent volunteer with the Arlington Food Assistance Center.