Patrick Dorton is one of Washington’s foremost communications and crisis experts. A White House and Capitol Hill veteran, Patrick has successfully led fully integrated campaigns on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, mission-driven organizations and global decision makers.
Patrick has driven the extraordinary growth of Rational from a two-person firm to Washington’s premier independent strategic communications, public affairs and marketing company, forged through exemplary talent and the adoption of innovative digital capabilities, including AI-driven message testing and Pinpoint Targeting®, the most advanced individual by-name targeting.
Patrick has led the successful management of high-stakes media and reputational campaigns in Washington and on behalf of prominent companies and associations in the pharma, food, agriculture, energy, defense, technology, healthcare, and financial sectors. Leaders across the C-suite look to Patrick as the go-to Washington communications chief for congressional investigations and corporate crises.
Patrick’s reputation as a bipartisan strategic communicator is reflective of his contributions both in the White House and on Capitol Hill, including service as Special Assistant to President Bill Clinton and as Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council. Patrick has also served on the professional staff for United States Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR).
Patrick graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in Political Science and serves as a Middlebury College trustee. He is Chair of the Board for the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut, and the Chairman of the Edward Moore Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston, Massachusetts.