Zach Friend Biography
Zach Friend - Santa Cruz - Biography
With a decade of experience as a communications and policy professional,
Zach Friend boasts an impressive career of public relations work. Since
2001, Zach Friend has aided numerous institutions in developing
programs and interfacing with the media, particularly in the public
sector. Currently working for the Santa Cruz Police Department in Santa
Cruz, California as Press Information Officer and Crime Analyst, Zach
Friend is on the front line of communication between the police
department and the media. As an on-the-record spokesperson, he is
responsible for ensuring strong relations with print, social media,
television, and radio outlets. Zach Friend supervises website design,
drafts opinion pieces, and issues press releases for the police
department. He also designs and directs marketing procedures and manages
a multi-million dollar budget. Additionally, Zach Friend’s duties
include analyzing crime statistics and initiating programs to address
related problems.
Prior to his employment with the Santa Cruz Police
Department, Zach Friend held a number of policy and press assistant
positions in Washington, D.C., Early in his career, Zach Friend served
as Economic Policy Assistant for the Council of Economic Advisors. He
wrote weekly economic briefings and edited chapters of the yearly
Economic Report of the President. Zach Friend subsequently accepted a
position as Legislative Research Assistant for Senator Tom Daschle,
writing speeches and editorial pieces and promoting proposed legislation
by enlisting local media coverage. As Social Policy and Press Assistant
to Congressman Sam Farr, Zach Friend further flexed his skills by
writing briefings, staff reports, talking points, and press releases. He
developed correspondence content for the congressman, including a
monthly newsletter.
Zach Friend acted as Deputy National Director of Special Projects for the Democratic National Committee in 2004, implementing campaign strategies, executing outreach projects in battleground states, and overseeing field staff. Perhaps his most notable post in the political field, Zach Friend served as Press Secretary for Obama for America during the presidential primary and general election. Operating out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zach Friend staffed national surrogates, produced weekly press plans, op-eds, and letters to the editor for specific policy proposals, and spearheaded media operations. Zach Friend graduated with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Legal Studies. He also holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Certificate in Financial Planning from Columbia University.