Firm Summary

Jonathan Lehrer is director of marketing and communications for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs in Chicago.

The firm he founded, Jonathan Lehrer Communications, Inc., provides strategic public relations planning, message development, crisis communications, media training, press releases, media relations, community relations, brochures, flyers, collateral materials, printed newsletters, electronic newsletters and Web site content/design.

Clients include government agencies, nonprofits and private-sector companies.

Jonathan Lehrer, president, and Bob Herrick, executive vice president, have a collective 80 years of experience in developing and executing effective communications plans, whether for businesses and industry, not-for-profits and associations, or government.

We have the knowledge to combine the best of the “new media” with the traditional to deliver your messages to the right audiences. Effectively translating complex issues and technical language to lay people is second nature to us.

But we offer much more than communications savvy to our clients. We are in effect your personal advisor, a trusted partner and friend, ready to offer communications counsel on a minute’s notice.

Engineering the message

Just as real engineers do, we analyze, strategize, plan and build. Our ability to translate “engineer speak” into plain English is helpful when working with any type of project where technical jargon or complicated rationale must be made accessible to the general public.

We build solid public relations programs based on analysis and planning. This theory applies equally well to infrastructure projects non-profit organizations and corporate clients. The unifying element is their need to communicate with an audience.

Areas of Expertise

  • Community and regional economic development
  • Global logistics and transportation, including rail, truck and airports
  • Grassroots organizing and lobbying on major infrastructure projects
  • Government relations, community relations and public relations
  • Environmental issues and regional transportation planning
  • Workforce development
  • Not-for-profits and associations
  • For-profit businesses
  • Hiring effective PR staff people

Core Competencies

Relevant Experience

We have worked on many of the major highway transportation projects in the Chicago area for nearly two decades, most recently the Dan Ryan Expressway and Kingery Expressway reconstruction projects (Illinois Department of Transportation) and the Illinois Tollway’s Congestion Relief Program.

We have participated in regional planning initiatives by the former Chicago Area Transportation Study and Northeast Illinois Planning Commission. We have thorough knowledge of community and economic development, especially with respect to global logistics and transportation and intermodal rail. We also have experience in lobbying and coalition-building for the I-355 southern extension and South Suburban Airport.