Mike Chapman is proof that professionals from non-tech sectors can adapt and even thrive in the new media landscape. The principles of being open and genuine, considering customers as humans, welcoming feedback and criticism, and being willing to trade old ways of thinking for new ones, have made Mike an enthusiast for social media. It may sound ironic that a former Washington lobbyist and Congressional staffer would be eager to specialize in communications based on honesty and authenticity rather than promotion, but those are the exact qualities that drew him into the field of new media and communications.
Mike's career started with J.J."Jake" Pickle as a legislative aide before he joined current U.S. Senator Tim Johnson as his first Legislative Director. Mike then moved downtown to work for the National Association of Realtors and the American Medical Association as a Congressional Lobbyist for each. After fifteen years in Washington D.C., Mike returned to Texas where he worked for Texas State University handling government affairs work.
Mike is currently a social media strategist for FG SQUARED, an interactive marketing agency. Mike is co-founder of the Social Media Club of Austin as well as the umbrella Social Media Club, serving as a member of its advisory board. Mike recently was honored as one of the twenty-five Texas Social Media Award winners by the Austin American-Statesman.
