Michael Makarski is a senior external affairs and communications executive specializing in public policy, strategic communications and large-scale advocacy campaigns.
A nationally recognized leader in external affairs, strategic outreach, and communications; Michael brings nearly two decades of expertise to the intersection of business, government, and organized labor. He currently leads External Affairs at ELEC825 on behalf of the 8,000 members of the Operating Engineers Local 825 and the 1,000 signatory contractors across the region who employ them. In this role, he directs enterprise-wide communications and public affairs strategy, overseeing the award-winning Tri-State Infrastructure News Network, the internationally recognized television program Our Infrastructure Matters, and a multi-channel digital media strategy that reaches over a million New Jerseyans a year. He is a frequent media commentator on matters of transportation and energy policy
Throughout his career, Michael has designed and executed high-impact advocacy and public affairs initiatives, including authoring legislation and leading successful local and statewide ballot campaigns. His skillset straddles traditional and new digital media, deploying each to maximum effect and incorporating new technologies like AI. Prior to joining Local 825, he served as Senior Director of Public Affairs at MWWPR, one of the largest privately held public relations firms in the United States, where he advised a broad portfolio of corporate, government, and nonprofit clients at both regional and national levels.
Michael is known for building alignment between corporations, elected officials, and community stakeholders. His approach combines developing strategic insights and messaging with integrated, multi-channel execution, including broadcast and digital advertising, direct mail, coalition development, earned media, stakeholder mobilization, and high-profile event coordination.
A seasoned political strategist, Michael has run dozens of third-party political action committee efforts and has directly advised campaigns for the U.S. Senate, Congress, state legislatures, and numerous municipal offices. He brings firsthand perspective from his own experience as an elected official, having been elected in 2008 to his local Board of Education as the youngest member in the community’s history.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has served on the boards of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce and the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. His work has earned multiple Reed Awards for excellence in political communications, hundreds of public relations, communications and creative industry awards and he has been recognized on numerous “30 Under 30” and “40 Under 40” lists.