Richard Wells, Principal and Founder

Richard Wells

I have practiced in the field of public affairs, public relations, communications, and marketing for more than 20 years. After taking a degree in English from the University of Virginia, and spending a few years "finding myself" painting houses on the Main Line, I began my career in earnest at The Center For Literacy, a non-profit agency based in Philadelphia dedicated to tackling the issue of adult illiteracy in the city. While volunteering as a tutor for the Center, I was approached by the executive director to work as the Center's first public relations director, under a grant from the federal VISTA program. For a whopping $95 a week salary (a fifty percent cut from the house painting business), I helped establish a higher public profile for one of the oldest adult literacy agencies in the nation, professionalizing and expanding the Center's communications, working the news media, and fundraising.

In the late 1980s, with my first child on the way, I took a position as a marketing account manager for Graduate Health System—at the time, one of the predominant health systems in the Delaware Valley (and sadly, one of the institutions brought down by the collapse of the Allegheny Health System—long after I left, if you were wondering.)

In 1991, I joined the Main Line Health System as director of public relations and marketing communications for Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, PA. Over more than a decade-and-a-half, I fulfilled a series of increasingly responsible positions within MLH around the areas of public affairs, PR, and communications, culminating in a position as vice president of public affairs for Main Line Health, serving on the senior management team and reporting to the CEO.

My experiences at MLH touched on virtually every aspect of public affairs and required me to develop superb writing, speaking, communications, and strategic planning skills that I have used to translate the complex and rapidly changing healthcare industry to internal and external stakeholders, both lay and professional.

I served as the primary spokesman for MLH to the news media and before scores of community groups. I advised senior management on media training, message development, and delivery at a time when MLH was involved in many controversial issues related to our growth and development. As a media spokesperson, I represented MLH in crisis situations and was responsible for developing and maintaining the System's first formal crisis communications plan.

I also worked closely with other departments within MLH, especially Human Resources where I developed and executed communications strategies around issues such as workforce reductions, union campaigns, and pension changes. I also served as an internal educator for a variety of HR employee and management training programs.

I implemented the first organized government affairs function for MLH, strengthening relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials to achieve our advocacy goals and garnering state and federal grants.

While all this was going on, I also earned an MBA from St. Joseph's University, and, along with my wife, have raised three children in Bala Cynwyd, PA. I believe strongly in both community and professional service, and have volunteered as a kids' basketball coach and served on the board of my local civic association. I currently volunteer as president of The Education Foundation of Lower Merion, and served on the board of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce and the national Public Affairs Council.