Scott Melbourne Ferson is a public relations executive and a Democratic Party strategist from Massachusetts. He has served as press secretary for Senator
Edward M. Kennedy, communications director for Congressman
Stephen Lynch, and senior advisor during Congressman
Seth Moulton
Seth Wilbur Moulton (born October 24, 1978) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district since 2015. A former Marine Corps officer, he is a member of the Democratic Party.
After gra ...
's 2014 campaign. His firm, the Liberty Square Group, is a strategic communications firm representing corporate, nonprofit, and through its political division, the
Blue Lab, political clients.
Education
Ferson was born in
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city northwest of downtown Boston on the Mystic River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 59,659. It is home to Tufts University, which has its campus alo ...
and raised in
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
. He attended
Southeastern Massachusetts University
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly Southeastern Massachusetts Un ...
(now the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) where he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. While he was a student, Ferson was introduced to political organizing on the
John B. Anderson
John Bayard Anderson (February 15, 1922 – December 3, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 16th congressional district from 1961 to 1981. A member o ...
presidential
campaign in 1980 as the Burlington, Massachusetts coordinator. After graduating, he worked for the newly elected Congressman
Chester G. Atkins
Chester Greenough Atkins (born April 14, 1948) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat from Massachusetts.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1948, he graduated from Conco ...
of the
5th district in Massachusetts, focusing on economic development issues in
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
and
Lowell.
Ferson later earned a master's degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University.
Early career
In 1987 he left Atkins' office for Congressman
Richard Gephardt
Richard Andrew Gephardt (; born January 31, 1941) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as a United States Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House Majority Leader from ...
's campaign for president. He then joined Senator
Edward M. Kennedy's staff, working in his Boston office as his press secretary and his Massachusetts issues director from 1990 to 1995, including Kennedy's
1994 re-election campaign against
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
.
Ferson next began a career in the private sector, handling a broad range of issues including the successful effort of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
to build a temple in
Belmont
Belmont may refer to:
People
* Belmont (surname)
Places
* Belmont Abbey (disambiguation)
* Belmont Historic District (disambiguation)
* Belmont Hotel (disambiguation)
* Belmont Park (disambiguation)
* Belmont Plantation (disambiguation)
* Belmon ...
and the launch of the Fishing Health Care Partnership.
The Liberty Square Group
In 1999, as national firms acquired smaller companies, Ferson started his own business, the Liberty Square Group. As president, Ferson represents New England nonprofit and corporate interests and directs regional political campaigns. Today, the Liberty Square Group is a full service public affairs firm with a dozen associates, handling government affairs, public relations, press issues, and government marketing on local, state, and federal levels.
Ferson has managed press for the
LDS Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
, for
Stephen Lynch's election to the US Congress, and for
Tim Murray
Timothy Patrick Murray (born June 7, 1968) is an American lawyer and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 71st Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2013, when he resigned to become the head of the Worcester Chamber of Com ...
's run for
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts is the first in the line to discharge the powers and duties of the office of governor following the incapacitation of the Governor of Massachusetts. The constitutional honorific title for the office is His ...
. He has offered communications counsel to groups including the Mashpee Wompanoag Tribe and the Special Olympics International Games.
In 2011, Ferson and Sean Sinclair, a former campaign manager for Senator
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Sena ...
, founded The Blue Lab, an incubator for Democratic campaigns and a comprehensive campaign resource for candidates. Based on the startup model, the consultants and interns seek to cut costs for clients through shared space and lateral input.
In 2014, he was senior adviser and general consultant for
Seth Moulton
Seth Wilbur Moulton (born October 24, 1978) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district since 2015. A former Marine Corps officer, he is a member of the Democratic Party.
After gra ...
in his upset win for
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district is located in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains most of Essex County, including the North Shore and Cape Ann, as well as part of Middlesex County. It is represented by Seth Moulton, who has repr ...
, cited by Roll Call as one of the 10 best run congressional campaigns of 2014.
In 2018, Ferson was contracted by Columbia Gas to manage the media in the aftermath of the
Merrimack Valley gas explosions
On September 13, 2018, excessive pressure in natural gas lines owned by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts caused a series of explosions and fires to occur in as many as 40 homes, with over 80 individual fires, in the towns of Lawrence, Andover, an ...
.
In 2020, Ferson was a key strategy and communications advisor to Senator
Ed Markey
Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representati ...
during the Senator's historic primary victory against Congressman
Joe Kennedy III
Joseph Patrick Kennedy III (born October 4, 1980) is an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who currently serves as United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland since 2022. Prior to this, Kennedy served as the U.S. representative for fr ...
.
Teaching
In 2013, Ferson started working as an adjunct professor at
Stonehill College
Stonehill College is a Private college, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross and is located on ...
.
Personal life
Scott Ferson is a resident of
Belmont
Belmont may refer to:
People
* Belmont (surname)
Places
* Belmont Abbey (disambiguation)
* Belmont Historic District (disambiguation)
* Belmont Hotel (disambiguation)
* Belmont Park (disambiguation)
* Belmont Plantation (disambiguation)
* Belmon ...
where he formerly served as the president of The First Church in Belmont
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to:
Christian and Christian-derived theologies
A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism:
* Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
and as president of the Belmont Library Foundation. He currently sits on the board of Sail Boston.
Mission and Board of Directors
"Sail Boston"
References
External links
Liberty Square Group
The Blue Lab
Scott Ferson’s Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferson, Scott
Living people
Massachusetts Democrats
American political consultants
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth alumni
People from Medford, Massachusetts
People from Burlington, Massachusetts
1961 births