Nick Ragone

Nick Ragone is the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Ascension. In this role, he provides leadership in creating and executing external and internal communications and engagement strategies and programs for Ascension and its subsidiaries.

Prior to joining Ascension, Nick was the Director of the Washington, D.C., office of Ketchum, a global public relations firm. In that capacity he oversaw operations for the 130-person office. In addition, Nick served as a senior strategist, counselor and media trainer to many of the agency’s clients, including J.P Morgan Chase, Express Scripts, H&R Block, Universal Health Services, FedEx, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Macy’s, and the U.S Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, among others.

Prior to running the Washington, D.C., office, Nick was the Associate Director of Ketchum’s New York office, where he ran the media, social media, corporate and issues practices. In that capacity, Nick helped create Ketchum’s national media group, which consists of 19 full-time media professionals, the largest dedicated group in the agency. Nick began his Ketchum career as a media specialist, and continues to work closely with the thousands of media contacts he has developed over the years.

In 2007, Nick was named one of PR Week’s “40 under 40” to watch in the industry. Nick has been a regular contributor to Fox News, CNN and Fox Business on issues of politics and communications, as well as writing for U.S. News & World Report, The Star-Ledger, and Real Simple Magazine. He is frequently quoted in PR Week, Advertising Age, and The New York Times, among others. Nick is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Nick is a graduate of Rutgers University, Piscataway Township, N.J., and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Nick is the author of five books, including four on government and politics, with his most recent being “Presidential Leadership: 15 Decisions That Changed the Nation” (February 2011).