Jonathan Powell

Jonathan Powell is Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications, at the Motion Picture Association, where he helps shape the organization’s voice, vision, and messaging to local, national, and regional stakeholders worldwide.

Jonathan is a longtime advisor to top figures in government, leading on speechwriting, public diplomacy, press engagement, social media, and strategic communications for Cabinet secretaries, congressional leaders, mayors, and other key officials in American politics, diplomacy, and foreign policy. He joined the MPA from the Department of State, where he served as a speechwriter for former Secretary John Kerry in the Obama Administration and, most recently, as a senior advisor to Deputy Secretaries of State Wendy Sherman, Richard Verma, and Victoria Nuland.

Previously, Jonathan worked as Director of Speechwriting for Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and held the same role under Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. He cut his teeth in public service with two Mayors of Los Angeles – Eric Garcetti and Antonio Villaraigosa; spent time on presidential, congressional, and statewide campaigns; did freelance writing for various CEOs, nonprofits, and political activists; and got his start conducting research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

A native of Los Angeles, Jonathan is a proud graduate of Northwestern University. He lives with his wife and two kids in D.C.