Tom Shields
President

Tom Shields is the founder and president of Marketing Resource Group, Inc.

In 1979, Tom started MRG as a political consulting firm, providing candidates for local, state, and national offices with strategic management of resources, message, and media. Since then, MRG has consulted on more than 300 political campaigns. Tom, as one of Michigan’s top political advisors, has worked with, among others, Governor John Engler, the Michigan Republican Party, and numerous candidates for state and local office.

In 1985, Tom expanded MRG’s focus, integrating commercial advertising, public relations and public affairs into MRG’s mix of client services. Tom has personally worked on dozens of issues including casino gaming, professional sports stadiums, mining, insurance, charter schools, general business and community affairs.

MRG has won a number of local, state, and national advertising and public relations honors. The firm has won a number of prestigious Pollie Awards, political advertising’s highest honor. In 1997, MRG won the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Silver Anvil Award for MRG’s work on behalf of the Detroit Tigers’ stadium project and in 2003 MRG won two Silver Anvils, including one for the Best of Show, for their work to defeat the state wide ballot proposal to change the way the tobacco money was spent in Michigan.

Tom is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants and the Public Relations Society of America. He serves on the board of directors of the Michigan Chamber Services Corporation, and he is an advisory board member of the Lansing Community College Marketing Department. He was appointed to the Michigan Film Commission and the Michigan Workforce Development Board. Tom has previously served on the board of directors of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business/Michigan.

Recognized as one of Michigan’s leading political consultants, the state’s major news media routinely seek Tom’s political and legislative commentary. Tom was a Political Science major at Wayne State University in Detroit and worked for the Michigan legislature before forming MRG.