Washington communications experts Michael Deaver and Howard Paster were appointed to GW’s Council on American Politics, an organization housed in the Graduate School of Political Management.

As new members of the council, Deaver and Paster will help establish the school’s master’s program in strategic public relations. They will work closely with the program’s co-directors, Don Bates and Rick Sullivan, to prepare for the program’s premiere this fall.

“In the largest PR firms of the world, (Deaver and Paster) went on to be executive vice presidents,” Sullivan said. “They have a tremendous amount of experience working with people in the PR business (and) they know what kind of skills are needed out there.”

Deaver, the former deputy chief of staff during the Reagan administration, currently works as the executive vice president at Edelman, a public relations company. Paster is executive vice president of the WPP Group. His previous positions include serving as assistant to former President Bill Clinton for legislative affairs and chairman of the Hill and Knowlton advertising firm.

“They bring a great deal of knowledge about the field and its evolution, and so I think that getting them involved will help us in the development of the courses and the development of faculty that will teach some of these courses,” said Chris Arterton, dean of the Graduate School of Political Management.

Arterton added, “We intend to teach most of (the students in the new program) with adjunct faculty, and so having people who are well-regarded in the field gives us access to develop a stronger faculty (is a great asset).”

The Council on American Politics, now in its 10th year, strives to implement positive changes in politics through education. It is currently co-chaired by Tony Coehlo, a former congressman and chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Frank Fahrenkopf, former chairman of the Republican National Committee.