George Atallah
| George Atallah | |
|---|---|
| File:Headshot of George Atallah.jpg | |
| Born | Lebanon |
| Nationality | Lebanese American |
| Occupation | Assistant executive director of external affairs for the National Football League Players Association |
George Atallah is an American business executive and public relations professional. He is currently the assistant executive director of external affairs for the National Football League Players Association, a position he has held since 2009.
Early life and education
George Atallah was born in Lebanon and moved to New York City as a child.[1] Growing up he was a fan of the New York Giants.[2] Atallah attended Boston College where he earned two bachelor's degrees, one in English and one in philosophy.[3] In 2009, Atallah earned his Master of Business Administration from George Washington University.[3][4]
Career
Atallah has worked in the field of public relations, government relations and media strategy.[1][5] In the early 2000s, he worked at Goldman Sachs as a senior client analyst.[1][6] Following his time at Goldman Sachs, Atallah worked as a senior development associate for the nonprofit organization Seeds of Peace[1][3] and then at the consulting firm Fahmy Hudome International.[5] Atallah then joined the public relations firm Qorvis Communications in 2006, where he specialized in media relations and crisis communications strategies and focused on U.S.-Middle East relations.[3][5]
Work with NFLPA
In 2009, Atallah was hired by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to serve as the organization's assistant executive director of external affairs, a newly created position.[2][3][5] Atallah was the first major hire carried out by then-recently elected NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith,[7][8] with whom Atallah had become acquainted while working at Qorvis.[3]
At the NFLPA, Atallah serves as a spokesman, speaking on behalf of the players to communicate the players' opinions on issues related to the league. He is noted for his use of social media, particularly Twitter, and is also responsible for communicating on television and radio.[3][9] Atallah has also been active in educating NFL players on how to convey their thoughts to the public.[3]
As assistant executive director of external affairs, Atallah has helped to address issues of player health and safety. He was active throughout the 2011 NFL lockout, during which he managed the NFLPA's online outreach and interviews with media outlets nationwide.[1][3][8] Atallah has also been interviewed about homosexual players in the NFL.[10]
In February 2013, Atallah participated in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread where he answered questions about player health and safety and other issues related to the NFL.[11]
In 2014, Atallah spoke on behalf of the NFLPA regarding the union's role in defending players' rights under the union's collective bargaining agreement when Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice became suspended indefinitely after a video of a physical altercation with his wife became public.[12][13]
References
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