Frank Coleman

President, Frank Coleman Strategies LLC
In January 2021, Frank Coleman Strategies was launched, the latest chapter in a career that has taken Coleman from journalism to top positions on Capitol Hill and the association world.
His new venture is a public affairs and communications consultancy, specializing in public affairs, media relations, brand and executive reputation management, and special events. His clients have included the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, Cigar Association of America, the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, Historic Mount Vernon, and the Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Series (St. John’s County, FL), among others.
For over twenty years, he was senior vice president, public affairs and communications at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), where he was responsible for developing and communicating the industry’s key messages about public policy, industry trends and heritage, while helping to raise DISCUS’ profile in Washington, DC, New York, across the country and around the globe. His efforts facilitated rapid growth in spirits market share, exports and the public fascination with super premium products.
While with DISCUS, Coleman led the campaign to get Spirits ads back on TV networks; built the Council’s rapid response capability and developed its “hospitality tax” messaging; launched an annual economic briefing for Wall Street analysts/media; co-managed the USDA-funded international Market Access Promotion program, leading to record US spirits record exports; and promoted industry heritage and premiumization through various initiatives including launching George Washington’s Distillery, category media tours around the globe, and founding the American Whiskey Trail tourism initiative.
Prior to joining the Council, Coleman was vice president for media relations at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he built the organization’s media outreach, helped revive its reputation, and led communications for many industry coalitions including tax reform, legal reform, and the balanced budget.
He also spent ten years working on Capitol Hill including serving as press secretary for former Senator Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY), and spokesman for the Senate Banking Committee Republicans. He was also chief of staff for former Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI). Most recently, Coleman served as senior advisor to US Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), a three-term chair of the House Rules Committee and currently a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. He began his professional career as a journalist writing for Newsday in New York.
Coleman was a founding co-chair of the US Chapter of Keepers of the Quaich (KOTQUSA.org), the US arm of the Blair Castle-based Scotch promotion society, and continues to serve on the Corporate Board of Directors. He was made a Keeper of the Quaich in 2008 and elevated to Master of the Quaich in 2019. Also in 2019, he was inducted as the 66^th member of the Whisky Hall of Fame. He has been invited to join the Advisory Board of the National Press Foundation.
In 2020, the French government promoted him to Officier in the Ordre du Mérite Agricole for his work promoting Cognac in the US, after naming him a Chevalier in 2010. That year, Whisky magazine named him American Ambassador of the Year in its Icons of Whisky competition. In 2002, Governor Paul Patton made him a Kentucky Colonel for promoting Bourbon.
A father of four adult children, Frank resides in McLean, Virginia with his wife, Antoinette.