Ramsey Raymond Poston (born 1966 in Washington, D.C.) is president of Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm known for crisis management. Poston served as NASCAR’s Managing Director of Communications and spokesperson from 2004 to 2011.
Career
Poston joined NASCAR in 2001 to assist in managing the controversy around the death of Dale Earnhardt. Poston managed communications in a time of significant growth for the sport but was also faced with a number of high-profile controversies.
While at NASCAR, Poston oversaw communications regarding several major changes to the sport, including an updated championship points system, racecar changes, revised substance abuse policy, and fan outreach and diversity enhancement. Poston also oversaw NASCAR's push for greater media openness with the development of the NASCAR Citizen Journalist Corps.
Poston served as the primary communications strategist and spokesperson in several controversies and lawsuits related to NASCAR. Those challenges included a major antitrust lawsuit involving a racetrack in Kentucky Speedway v. NASCAR; a sponsorship lawsuit AT&T v. NASCAR; and a lawsuit challenging NASCAR substance abuse policy, Jeremy Mayfield v. NASCAR. In 2006, while NBC Sports was a league broadcast partner, NBC’s Dateline sent Muslim looking men to a race in southwest Virginia to see how the NASCAR fans would treat them. In 2009, Poston expressed NASCAR's criticism of ABC’s coverage of the fall Talladega race, stating: "ABC missed a lot of good racing."
Poston retold some of the “behind the scenes” steps NASCAR took as part of its accident investigation concerning the death of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt in a book entitled, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Recent Work
Poston is currently president of Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, crisis management and litigation communications. The firm opened in 2011. He also serves as senior counsel at Dominion Strategies and is Of Counsel at Levick Strategic Communications. Poston is a PR and crisis communications expert who is sought after by journalists for insights into communications challenges surrounding professional sports issues. In 2018 Poston published an ebook about crisis management, titled "The Crisis Communications Manual."
References
- "NASCAR revamping communications department". Sporting News Wire Service. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- St. Onge, Peter (18 February 2011). "NASCAR: Earnhardt's Death Prompted Safety Changes". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- O'Keefe, Brian (5 September 2005). "America's Fastest Growing Sport". FORTUNE Magazine. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Bernstein, Viv (19 February 2011). "House Votes to Continue Army Sponsorships in NASCAR". NY Times. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Fryer, Jenna (9 September 2006). "NASCAR Ponders Changes to Chase, Points System". USA Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Pedley, Jim (11 January 2010). "NASCAR May Re-Introduce the Car of Tomorrow". Racin' Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Perez, A.J. (18 February 2009). "NASCAR Drivers Pass Drug Tests; Concerns Turn to Crews". USA Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Livingstone, Seth (1 May 2008). "Montoya is on NASCAR, Marketing Fast Track". USA Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Cohen, David (24 July 2009). "NASCAR OPens Press Box to Websites, Bloggers". Social Times. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Schreiner, Bruce (7 January 2008). "Judge Dismisses NASCAR Antitrust Suit". USA Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- "Court Says AT&T Must be Removed from No. 31 Car". Sporting News Wire Service. 22 August 2007. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Newton, David (5 June 2009). "NASCAR Countersues Mayfield". ESPN. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Ryan, Nate (6 April 2006). "'Dateline' Defends Planting Muslims at NASCAR Race". USA Today. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Long, Dustin (4 November 2009). "NASCAR Official Critical of ABC's Race Coverage". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Canfield, Jack. "Becca's Book Review: "Chicken Soup for the Soul: NASCAR - 101 Stories of Family, Fortitude, and Fast Cars"". FrontStretch. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Mickle, Tripp (21 November 2011). "Former NASCAR Exec Ramsey Poston to Open His Own Crisis Communications Firm". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Joseph, Andrew (8 December 2011). "Influence Alley". National Journal. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- "Ramsey Poston, Of Counsel". Levick Communications. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- Ryan, Nate (September 19, 2013). "PR expert: 'MWR is staring at the possibility of extinction'". USA Today. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- Brady, Erik (September 26, 2012). "Answering 10 questions about the replacement officials". USA Today. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- Jenkins, Chris (September 25, 2012). "Packers seething as NFL replacement refs take heat". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- "Column: Quick rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez is lesson for both NFL and fans". FOX News. July 10, 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- Ramsey, Poston. "Crisis Communications Manual". Tuckahoe Strategies.