Drawing on nearly two decades of communications experience in Saint Paul, Mike Zipko helps clients plan successful public relations and public affairs campaigns and work effectively with the media, government officials, community groups, and others.

Having previously worked in television news for seven years and with reporters and editors in other roles, Mike has strong connections with the media that he uses to help clients work with the right media outlets and contacts.  Mike also helps clients understand social media and integrate new communication technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs, into their existing efforts.

In addition to his public relations expertise, Mike has a strong public affairs background, having worked for a number of state and local public officials and political campaigns.  He has spent the past 17 years helping various companies, agencies, and other groups throughout the area strengthen their relationships with public officials.

As vice president for strategic development, Mike helps Goff Public integrate communications innovations into the company’s public relations and public affairs practices.  Mike also helps lead Goff Public’s new business acquisition efforts.

Mike helps a variety of clients communicate with and mobilize the audiences they care about through targeted media relations, relationship building, grassroots, and public affairs efforts.  Mike helped the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing, organize, devise and implement an integrated communications plan to help gain support for a new bridge near Stillwater.  The effort included key messages, a website, social media tools, media relations coordination, and grassroots engagement.  In less than a year, the coalition gained thousands of supporters and won approval from the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and President Obama to allow the bridge project to move forward.

Additionally, Mike helps Andersen Corporation engage its varied key audiences and develop ways to communicate important news, especially related to its environmental and civic initiatives.  Mike worked with Andersen to create the In Our Nature blog and Twitter account, which share information about the company’s extensive sustainability practices and initiatives.

Mike also works with Catholic Charities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to raise awareness for its local mission and the services that it provides by developing strategic messaging and implementing targeted media relations efforts.  His efforts have garnered significant coverage in media outlets throughout the Twin Cities.

Before coming to Goff Public, Mike spent seven years in television news as a dispatcher, field producer, assignment editor, and off-air reporter.  He developed topics, interviewed contacts, wrote and edited stories for newscasts, and helped manage daily news gathering operations.  Through his broadcast background, Mike has developed and maintained relationships with reporters and editors.  He has also served in several capacities for elected officials, including as deputy press secretary for Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, deputy communications director for Governor-elect Jesse Ventura’s transition office, and press secretary for Saint Paul Mayor Norm Coleman.

Mike is extremely active in the community and was honored as the 2011 Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year.  He currently serves as chair of the Midway Chamber of Commerce board of directors and is on the boards of Neighborhood House and the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce political action committee.  He has been a member of several working groups associated with these boards, including the economic development committee, the sports facilities taskforce, the ballpark media taskforce, the communications committee, and the Minnesota Twins taskforce.  Previously he served on the boards of the Saint Paul Heritage and Festival Foundation and the Twin Cities Academy Foundation.

In 2009 Mike was honored with the National Guard’s Civilian Award for Excellence for his work with Serving Our Troops, a local nonprofit that organizes events to recognize and support members of the Minnesota National Guard and their families.  He has helped coordinate media relations efforts for the organization’s domestic and international missions since 2004.

Mike attended the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul.  In his free time, he enjoys following pop culture, raising his horses, trout fishing, and cheering and complaining about Minnesota sports teams.  He also spends several days each year in total silence by attending a three-day Jesuit silent retreat at the Demontreville Retreat House in Lake Elmo.