David Gershwin Consulting

With more than 20 years of experience on political campaigns, as a senior staff member to elected officials at the state and local levels, and as an experienced advocate for dozens of clients, David Gershwin has been instrumental in ensuring the passage of key legislation, ballot measures, and initiatives. David has also helped clients secure major government contracts in highly competitive and politically-charged environments.

David has a unique ability to translate complex policy issues into language that can be understood by target audiences - an essential skill to achieve larger legislative objectives. David Gershwin Consulting will work with you to help key stakeholders know your issue inside and out, enabling you to have a pathway for success.

And when you need to engage a local community or key constituency, we'll deliver a ground game on behalf of your project or cause that doesn't just get you heard - it will get you a victory.

Your first impression with the media isn't just a conversation with a reporter - it's a dialogue with thousands or even millions of people. You've got to make sure your message is authentic, clear, and compelling. We'll help you prepare for interviews, create effective press releases, pitch stories, and work with you to develop hard-hitting, impactful opinion page pieces that put you on the map with your target audiences.

And just as the media landscape is always changing, your external communications tactics should be changing as well. While social media isn't a replacement for other forms of communication, used strategically, it can help you reach target audiences in a precise fashion. Whether it's helping you develop a Twitter campaign to establish thought leadership, or working with you to generate a platform for you to showcase unique perspectives or projects, we'll help you create the best pathway forward to achieve your short- and long-term goals.

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David Gershwin is a public affairs and strategic communications executive with more than three decades of experience. David designs advocacy and communications strategies for a wide range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, transportation agencies, business organizations, law firms, banking executives, corporate real estate firms, healthcare executives, retail industry leaders, universities, social service agencies, advocacy organizations, and elected officials.

As Chief of Staff to Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti — who went on to serve as Mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022 and later as U.S. Ambassador to India — David was the architect of the Council President's key policy and political initiatives and oversaw the office's legislative, communications, and planning and economic development teams. Before joining Garcetti's office, David served as Director of Communications for the Council's previous President, Alex Padilla, now California's senior U.S. Senator. He also worked as Legislative Manager for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, where he created the organization's first-ever Legislative Day at Los Angeles City Hall.

David is a frequent media commentator, appearing on Fox Business Network and KTTV-TV and being interviewed by KNX-AM and KFWB-AM in Los Angeles. He has also been quoted for his perspective in The Spectator, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles Daily Journal, the Los Angeles Downtown News, and the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles.

An active voice in academia, David is a Lecturer at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, where he teaches Management Communication in the Master of Engineering program. For the UCLA Study Abroad program in Singapore, he served as instructor of record and Program Director in Summer 2026 for two courses — Global Leadership and Strategic Communication — after serving as the program's Teaching Fellow in Summer 2025. He was also a Lecturer at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Spring 2022, teaching Communications Development for Leaders to full-time M.B.A. students, and has guest lectured at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy, and the University of La Verne.

David was named to the San Fernando Valley Business Journal's Valley 200 — The Most Influential Leaders in the Valley Area — in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association, the San Fernando Valley's leading business organization, where he chairs the Government Affairs Committee. A proud graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, David enjoys sports, photography, music, and hiking in local mountains.