Hill+Knowlton Strategies adds Norm Kelly to municipal public affairs team
Communications consultancy Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed former Toronto city councillor Norm Kelly to its municipal public affairs team as an associate. Kelly brings more than three decades of experience in public office to the role.
Kelly will draw on his deep knowledge of the inner workings of municipal politics to advise clients on local government and strategic approaches to municipal policy issues.
Kelly was a Toronto councillor for more than 30 years, representing Scarborough-Agincourt between 2000-2018, and serving as a Scarborough city councillor between 1974-1980 and 1988-2000. Kelly also served as acting mayor of Toronto (2013-2014), and was a federal Liberal member of parliament (1980-1984).
He was recently appointed a senior fellow at the Global Cities Institute at the University of Toronto and executive advisor to the World Council on City Data.
Kelly achieved internet fame when he weighed in on the feud between Toronto rapper Drake and US rapper Meek Mill in 2015. He currently has more than 700,000 Twitter followers.
"Norm Kelly is part of the fabric of municipal politics in Toronto. Few are better positioned to advise our clients in their municipal dealings," said Elizabeth Roscoe, SVP and national lead of public affairs at H+K Canada.
The move further strengthens the municipal public affairs team at the firm, which supports clients across a range of industries, including retail, finance, manufacturing, tech, transportation, and infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the practice welcomed account director Isaac Ransom, who previously worked in Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s office, and held several senior political roles in the Office of the Deputy Mayor and offices of City Councillors. The municipal team also includes account director Stephanie Dunlop, who previously led government relations for Niagara Region, and vice president Brett Bell, who specializes in digital, community, and land use strategy.
The municipal team at H+K draws on first-hand experience to gather intelligence on policy matters, activate effective engagement with stakeholders, and deliver measurable and impactful messaging.
H+K is based in New York, with offices across 40 countries. It is a member company of WPP, the world’s largest PR and advertising company.
