What Rochelle Lefkowitz Built Before Pro-Media Took Off
Rochelle Lefkowitz biography
Rochelle Lefkowitz is an American communications strategist, public-interest public relations leader, and founder of Pro-Media Communications, the social-issues PR firm she launched in 1986 after working as a human services reporter covering the Massachusetts State House. Her career has centered on using media, message strategy, and public education campaigns to advance progressive causes, nonprofit work, and policy change.
Early life and education
Cornell University is the school most closely tied to Lefkowitz's academic background, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies. She later completed a master's degree in education at Boston University, a combination that fits the public-service and advocacy orientation that would define her professional life.
Before she became known for communications work, Lefkowitz was already connected to feminist and social-justice networks. In 1977, she became an associate of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, an organization focused on expanding communication between women and strengthening women-centered media.
Journalism and activism
Massachusetts State House reporting was Lefkowitz's professional entry point before she moved into communications strategy. That background matters because it gave her firsthand experience with public policy, press deadlines, and the mechanics of political storytelling, all of which later shaped Pro-Media's mission.
Her activism also extended into publishing. In 1986, she co-edited For Crying Out Loud: Women and Poverty in the United States with Ann Withorn, a book that brought together writers and activists including Barbara Ehrenreich, Frances Fox Piven, and Linda Burnham. That same year, she founded Pro-Media Communications to help organizations, nonprofits, and individuals communicate for social change.
Pro-Media Communications
Pro-Media Communications became Lefkowitz's defining professional achievement. The firm began in New York City and later became bicoastal after she moved to Silicon Valley in 1997, combining East Coast political-media experience with West Coast campaign and nonprofit networks.
The company focused on media relations, event planning, and strategic communications for progressive organizations, public education campaigns, policy authors, public intellectuals, foundations, and advocacy groups. Over time, Pro-Media worked across issues such as poverty, the death penalty, gay rights, labor, public health, and education.
"I built it into a leading social issues public relations and communications strategy firm," Lefkowitz later said of Pro-Media's mission and growth.
Clients and influence
Hundreds of clients passed through Pro-Media's orbit over the years, according to Lefkowitz's own professional history. The firm represented organizations and funders such as Human Rights Watch, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Employment Law Project, the Ms. Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
It also supported authors and thinkers including Barbara Ehrenreich, Susan Faludi, Jonathan Kozol, Michael Harrington, Robert Kuttner, Julianne Malveaux, and Frances Moore Lappé. That client list shows how deeply Lefkowitz's work sat at the intersection of books, advocacy, and public policy messaging rather than traditional corporate PR.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Education | Cornell University; Boston University |
| Early career | Human services reporter covering the Massachusetts State House |
| Major milestone | Founded Pro-Media Communications in 1986 |
| Core specialty | Public-interest communications and media strategy |
| Notable work | Co-edited For Crying Out Loud |
Writing and public voice
Bella Abzug was one of the political figures Lefkowitz worked with directly. From 1980 to 1983, she wrote more than 400 short editorials and speeches for Abzug, who delivered them on CNN, showing that Lefkowitz was already operating as a skilled behind-the-scenes message architect before Pro-Media became established.
Her broader public voice has also appeared in essays, interviews, and commentary on social issues. She has been associated with progressive media spaces and has used language and framing as strategic tools, including coining the phrase "Fuels from Heaven, Fuels from Hell," which was later cited by Thomas Friedman.
Career significance
Public-interest PR is the best shorthand for Lefkowitz's legacy. She helped define a communications model in which advocacy groups, foundations, and authors could use professional media strategy to influence public debate, build coalitions, and push reforms.
That approach became more important as nonprofits and policy organizations competed for attention in increasingly crowded media environments. Lefkowitz's work showed that communications was not just promotion; it could be a tool of civic organizing, agenda setting, and social-change infrastructure.
At a glance
- Full name: Rochelle Lefkowitz.
- Known for: Founder of Pro-Media Communications.
- Early job: Human services reporter covering the Massachusetts State House.
- Education: Cornell University and Boston University.
- Signature focus: Social-issues communications, nonprofit media strategy, and advocacy PR.
- Published work: Co-editor of For Crying Out Loud: Women and Poverty in the United States.
Career timeline
- 1977: Became an associate of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press.
- 1980-1983: Wrote speeches and editorials for Bella Abzug.
- 1986: Co-edited For Crying Out Loud and founded Pro-Media Communications.
- 1997: Took Pro-Media bicoastal after moving to Silicon Valley.
- 2013: Stepped into semi-retirement after nearly three decades leading the firm.
Why her biography matters
Rochelle Lefkowitz matters because her career tracks the rise of modern advocacy communications. She helped move social-justice messaging out of the margins and into professionalized media strategy, giving nonprofits and policy voices access to the same level of press discipline once reserved for corporations and political campaigns.
Her biography is also a reminder that communications careers can be built around mission rather than product. In Lefkowitz's case, the central thread from journalism to publishing to public-interest PR is consistency of purpose: shaping public understanding in service of social change.
Expert answers to What Rochelle Lefkowitz Built Before Pro Media Took Off queries
Who is Rochelle Lefkowitz?
Rochelle Lefkowitz is a communications professional, journalist, and founder of Pro-Media Communications, a firm focused on progressive causes and public-interest campaigns.
What did she do before Pro-Media?
Before founding Pro-Media in 1986, Lefkowitz worked as a human services reporter covering the Massachusetts State House and later wrote speeches and editorials for Bella Abzug.
What is Rochelle Lefkowitz best known for?
She is best known for building Pro-Media Communications into a major social-issues public relations firm serving nonprofits, authors, foundations, and advocacy organizations.
Did Rochelle Lefkowitz write a book?
Yes. In 1986, she co-edited For Crying Out Loud: Women and Poverty in the United States with Ann Withorn.
What makes her career notable?
Her career is notable for blending journalism, activism, and strategic communications into a model of public-interest media work that influenced nonprofit messaging for decades.