Media vet lands big part in D.C.
Sullivan the former spokesman for Dept. of Education
Not that Sullivan looks like Toby Ziegler, the character Richard Schiff played on "The West Wing" who had the same job.
But as Sullivan says, "There are way more similarities between the private, corporate sector and public service than people think. The instincts are the same and the skills translate."
Sullivan first learned that last year, when he left 30 Rock to become spokesman for the Dept. of Education.
Of course, the White House is a much broader stage, with bigger spotlights.
But Sullivan should be up to the challenge, says D.C. crisis management and PR specialist Eric Dezenhall.
"There are certain parallels between the entertainment industry and politics that Sullivan will be able to draw on," says Dezenhall. "Both run on perceptions of what's going on vs. what's really going on. Like Los Angeles, Washington is a town of power lists and reputed evil geniuses who are secretly controlling everything.
"Someone in show business will have a better handle on the hocus pocus that is the currency of Washington than, say, a communicator from the pharmaceutical industry."
Sullivan's first day in his new role -- er, job -- is July 24.
