TEAM
JOHN SELLEK
Chief Strategist/CEO
John Sellek is Harbor Strategic's Chief Strategist and CEO.
John is a leading public affairs practitioner. He was selected by the MIRS Capitol Insider Survey as one of Lansing's Top 2 Most Effective Public Affairs Professionals because he knows how to accomplish your goals.
By combining a bipartisan state capitol and local government network with a strategic understanding of how media, policy and politics intersect, Harbor Strategic assists citizens, non-profits, corporations, candidates and office holders seeking to educate and persuade their target audiences.
John's PR and political skill set is based on his experiences advising two Michigan speakers of the House, serving in a governor’s policy shop and leading communications for two state attorneys general, all of which gave him a true understanding of how public policy and legal issues impact the real lives of families and businesses.
In addition to his government service, John led efforts on multiple statewide political campaigns, serving as manager of a winning race for Michigan attorney general and as an advisor to victorious campaigns for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and the Michigan Secretary of State. John was also selected as state director of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign and worked on President George W. Bush's Washington, D.C.-based inaugural committee.
John’s knowledge of the public policy and political environment, bi-partisan network and reputation as a straight shooter makes him a sought-after commentator by interest groups and the media. In addition to being hired to brief the membership of some of Michigan’s leading industry associations, he has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, Buzzfeed, Vanity Fair, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, WJR-AM, MLive, Le Temps, Bloomberg, NPR and more, providing Harbor Strategic with media contacts few others possess.
In 2019, these experiences gave John the credibility to officially open the doors at Harbor Strategic, an aggressive communications firm that leads digital, PR and public affairs efforts from Washington, D.C. to Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and beyond, on a range of issues including healthcare, taxation, legal, corporate affairs, politics and government.
For example, Harbor helped achieve a half-billion-dollar settlement for sexual assault victims, pass a local government public safety millage, push for state and federal legislative reforms at the Capitol and lead coalitions for Michigan’s leading small businesses organizations.
With a background one can only earn through years of political, legislative and media battles, John and Harbor Strategic can help you today.
“relentless”
- Detroit News
“Known to email reporters additional background for questions they've asked two minutes earlier -- (during) the same press conference.”
- Inside Michigan Politics
“One of our go-to people.”
- Capitol Radio Host
"A good friend of this broadcast, John Sellek, one of my favorite go-to guys."
- WJR
"This issue has dominated the news because of a well-organized public relations campaign that has brought hundreds of tipped employees to the Capitol."
- Gongwer
"The masterly public relations campaign spearheaded by PR guru John Sellek to spotlight the state’s beleaguered small businesses and tipped workers and keep incessant pressure on lawmakers."
- THE BALLENGER REPORT, 2/23/25
“Selected by peers as one of the Top 2 Most Effective Public Affairs professionals in the MIRS Capitol Insider survey.”
"A smart guy when it comes to the ins and outs of politics and what's going on behind the scenes."
- WJR
"By God I can’t help but be impressed how this coalition expanded, and By God if you didn’t get changes through the legislature and signed by the governor. Hats off you and your team for pulling this off."
- Capitol Media on Harbor's successful legislative coalition campaign
"Messaging appears to move the needle: Czuba attributed the relatively lower support for the elimination of the tipped wage to the restaurant industry's "master class" messaging."
- The Detroit News, 2/20/25
“We love hearing from John and his take on everything.”
- FOX17
"In a news conference never quite seen before in Ann Arbor..."
- Detroit Free Press
"This issue has dominated the news because of a well-organized public relations campaign that has brought hundreds of tipped employees to the Capitol to argue for keeping a lower tipped minimum wage."
- Gongwer Weekender, 1/4/25
“John has really important experience in politics and policy...somebody whose judgement I really value.”
- S.E. MI Radio Host
“A very keen observer of the state of our politics.”
- WJR, 760-AM, Detroit
John is trusted by media from Michigan to Europe, including WJR's Paul W. Smith.
“One of my most trusted voices.”
- Capitol reporter
“a go-for-the-jugular campaign”
- Gongwer
“A distinguished
career in communications”
- WILS' Morning Wake Up
“a week of daggers”
-Gongwer
