Former Koch official joins advisory firm

Paul Morrell, a top former official at one of GOP megadonor Charles Koch’s philanthropic ventures, has been named a partner at the advisory firm Touchdown Strategies.

Touchdown Strategies was founded last year by James Davis, another former senior official in the Koch political network.

Since its launch, the advisory firm has done marketing and communications work with a number of trade associations, corporations, nonprofits and influencers.

Morrell most recently worked for Stand Together, which was founded by Koch to bring together business leaders and philanthropists. He has a long history working in both the corporate world and Republican politics.

Under former President George W. Bush, Morrell served as director of communications planning at the National Security Council, as NASA Chief of Staff, and as deputy chief of staff at the Department of Energy. He also spent 20 years as a congressional staffer, including in the office of former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas).

Morrell was deputy communications director for the Republican National Convention in 2012, and has acted as a consultant to both PepsiCo and BP.

“I am delighted to announce Paul Morrell as partner for Touchdown Strategies,” Davis said. “Paul’s wealth of experience will be an asset to all of our clients, and his leadership will help us to expand to meet the growing opportunities.”

Since its launch, Touchdown Strategies has worked on a partnership between the REFORM Alliance, which was founded by Meek Mill and Jay-Z, and the National Sheriffs Association on a project that delivered protective gear to prisons to curb the spread of coronavirus among incarcerated people.

It has also worked with former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander and his wife Valerie Alexander to build a nonprofit group focused on strengthening family relationships. It has also worked with criminal justice reform advocate Alice Marie Johnson and the late baseball legend Joe Morgan.