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John Segale likes best the days when the sky appears to be falling. That's when clients face tough scrutiny or unforeseen catastrophe, and he feels the familiar adrenaline rush that accompanies split-second decisions needed to help them develop a media and communications strategy.
"I like crisis communication," he says, "because everything's happening right now. You use all your senses, all your instincts." Segale is the senior vice president, general manager and senior partner of Fleishman-Hillard, the St. Louis-based public relations firm that was founded in 1956 and is now the largest PR company in the country. Segale was working as a lobbyist for the California Agricultural Council of California in 1989 when FleishmanHillard opened its Sacramento office and invited him to be the second employee.
BACKGROUND
* Age: 39
* Education: Bachelor of science in agricultural economics from Fresno State University, 1983
* Residence: Granite Bay
* Native of: Stockton
* Family: Wife Katie; daughters Annie (9) and Abby (3)
THE JOB
Local clients: "We've got clients in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho and Florida. Some of our clients are Pacific Bell, Yahoo, the California Milk Advisory Board, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, McDonald's, Mervyn's California and Del Monte Fresh Produce Co."
What they do: "We're a full-service public relations firm, and offer communications support and counsel. We specialize in employee communications, which is a hot growth area, and also media communications, crisis management, interactive communication - such as Web page design - and presentation...