As chief executive officer of the Cleveland, Ohio-based Advocacy & Communication Solution firm (ACS) one of the only female- and minority-owned consulting firms in Ohio, Lori McClung directs strategic communication planning, government relations and advocacy efforts, policy analysis, and strategy development for ACS clients.
The women-led firm is reputed for its communication and strategy development expertise, particularly for organizations in the early childhood and K-12 education sectors. Collectively, the firm has more than 75 years of experience developing and implementing strategies that help clients achieve measurable results, and has won international, national, and local awards. McClung has received awards from the Friend of Public Education, Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Cleveland Rape Crisis Center.
McClung began her career as a newspaper reporter and served as press secretary for U.S. Rep. David Mann in Cincinnati, and with nearly 25 years of experience in media, public policy, and advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels, she also has held leadership positions with the Federation for Community Planning, Public/Private Ventures, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and the Center for Community Solutions.
She was the campaign director for an Ohio statewide early care and education campaign called Groundwork™ that with help of countless volunteers raise awareness about the importance of providing high quality education and care for all children birth through age six and raised $500 million for the Ohio state budget.
She has held board posts on The St. Luke’s Foundation, The Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest, Education Voters of Ohio, The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, The Cleveland Public Library, The Greater Cleveland Media Development Corporation, and Parents for Public Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Certificate in Journalism from the University of Cincinnati.