Trudi Boyd has more than 20 years of experience in public policy programming, crisis management, client counseling, grassroots and coalition management, and public affairs practice. She is the senior vice president and managing director of Dittus Communications, where she has worked since 1998. She leads some of the firm's most high-profile clients in developing, coordinating and implementing award-winning campaigns. She executes policy positions; comments in response to legislative, regulatory and executive actions of impact; serves as clients' media contact in Washington, D.C.; maintains appropriate executive, legislative and regulatory contacts; recommends and arranges client participation in association events, panels and testimony; and ensures the communication of clients' views directly through the media, associations or industry coalitions to U.S. policymakers.

Boyd earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1981 from Texas Tech University. She began her journalism career at KAMC-TV and later KLBK-TV in Lubbock, where she served as news director and news anchor. A veteran of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Boyd served from 1985 to 1992 as communications director and later chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Larry Combest of Texas. As senior political and legislative adviser and spokesperson, Boyd was responsible for all public policy initiatives; the daily management of Combest's Washington, D.C., and district offices; and all national and district media outreach. In 1998, Boyd became director of media relations for the National Association of Manufacturers, the nation's largest and oldest industrial trade association. She coordinated national and grassroots media and coalitions; developed messages, strategy and execution; provided extensive media and spokesperson training to the association's executive leadership team and member companies; and promoted the association's legislative efforts in the media. Her position included working on health, labor, and business immigration issues.

Trudi Boyd