Thomas Reiker
Want to meet a former political Staffer who is on the cutting edge of digital media?
Oh, you should talk to Thomas Reiker!
Vice President of Addressable Strategy
KINESSO
Thomas Reiker is a Senior Vice President of Addressable Strategy at KINESSO, a tech-driven performance agency, working with Amazon Reputation Management and Insights. He started his career in politics right out of school, but moved to D.C. seven years ago to work for the NRSC. Before his time at KINESSO, his resume was dense:
Law Clerk @ NRCC
Multiple Senate Campaigns
Deputy Digital Director @ NRSC
Director @ Purple Strategies
Managing Director @ Targeted Victory
Basically, if you’re looking to talk to someone about digital communications, Thomas is the guy! He is a visionary who is on the cutting edge of creative media and challenges the status quo of digital communications in Washington, D.C.
With diverse experiences under his belt, Thomas stands out as an engaging conversationalist offering insights on communication as well as personal life. He writes, “Showing up with an open mind and a kind heart is never the wrong move.”
Keep reading ⬇️
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His Backstory
🏠 Hometown: Dexter, Montana
🎓 College: Ole Miss, Dual Major in Intl. Studies & Political Science
🌸 Favorite D.C. Memory: “…I am particularly proud of the content factory we created in New Hampshire in 2016 to speak directly to three key voter constituencies. We outperformed our vote goals with all three groups in a challenging environment and with limited time and budget.
What are the necessary skills to climb the digital comms ladder?
“An appetite for disruption.”
Thomas attributes his new media skills to ‘an appetite for disruption’ - a skill needed for anyone who wants to think outside the box. In his assessment of today’s media landscape, he shares:
“The media landscape is totally fractured. You have to be really comfortable with disruption. Also, media companies rise and fall and buy and sell constantly. I think you have to have a passion for marginal optimization - tinkering on the edges. Because when you're talking about online media performance metrics, there aren't silver bullets. There's no big swings. You just try small changes over time.”
When he’s not providing expert digital comms strategy, you can find Thomas swimming laps before work, cooking up something creative, or relaxing with some yoga.
🔗 CNCT with Thomas about…
His pre-work swim routine 🏊♂️
Unwinding with yoga after a long day
Cooking as his creative outlet 👨🍳
His trip to Volcano National Park
Advice to Staffers considering law school
Among his many professional and academic accomplishments, Thomas is also a Doctor of Law! Here is his advice to Staffers who may be considering going to law school:
“Ask yourself if you still want to be in D.C. in 10 years. If no, then the finances of that are never going to work out. But, if yes, there are many, many, many jobs here that will pay you more money because of that degree that aren't going to ask you to practice just on a practical level.”
Thomas’ Favorites ❤️
Coffee Spot: The Wydown
Bar: “Duplex, on a drag night.”
Happy Hour: Sette Osteria
Lunch Spot: Grazie Grazie
Movie: “The Muppet Christmas Carol is a cinematic masterpiece and I won’t hear otherwise.”
When did you know DC was the right place for you?
“I had two of those experiences. The first was in 2013. When I clerked at the NRCC … it was the first time in a workplace that I thought these are my people. All of these people are wired like me. I didn't have to hedge my behavior. I didn't have to temper my opinions. Everybody was hard charging and passionate about the work…"
"I think the second time was in early 2019. When my time at the NRSC ended, I was very disillusioned with politics as an industry and more so towards campaigning … But this city kept me here. It's not a very big city, but there's so much cool stuff here because it is a world capital. It's small. It’s manageable. You get to know people in real ways over time. There's art and there's culture and there's food and there's people from all around the world.”
📚 Thomas’ Book Recommendations
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Thomas’ Guide on How to CNCT
With those in the opposite party…
“Find interests and hobbies outside of the Hill and then bring that part of yourself to work so you have something to connect on that isn’t federal policy.”
Do you know someone on the Hill who should be our Staffer Spotlight for a week? Send us an email and let us hear their story!
Staffer Advice
One of the best skills that Thomas has learned in the workplace is simply saying, “I don’t know, but let me find out and get back to you…”
Speaking to those who tend to internalize, Thomas says, “Nobody thinks about you as much as you think they do.”
And lastly, one more thing Thomas would like everyone to know about himself is: “Sobriety is the best decision I’ve ever made and if you’re struggling it can get better.”
- Thomas Reiker