Amber McDowell

Partner

Amber McDowell is a veteran strategist with two decades of experience designing and managing winning communications campaigns for political leaders, corporations, advocacy organizations and non-profit organizations.

An accomplished writer, editor and journalist, Amber understands the importance of crafting the right messages for the right audiences, and utilizes that experience to develop and implement strategies that help clients achieve their reputational, business and advocacy goals.

Amber oversees client portfolios covering a wide range of issues, including health care, gender equity, food safety, transportation, human rights and consumer wellness. Previously, Amber served as a Partner at Blue Engine Message & Media, which merged with JDA Frontline in 2018 to form Seven Letter.


Amber leads the team serving as agency of record for the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, generating awareness, support and ongoing media coverage of the new national Museum being built in America’s heartland. As part of that work, Seven Letter created and implemented the media strategy for the Museum’s groundbreaking in March 2022 – attended by former President George W. Bush, 15 recipients ranging from World War II to Afghanistan, and other dignitaries – with resulting coverage by 50+ media outlets across print, television, radio and cable.


Amber also managed the creation, launch and advocacy efforts of Even the Score, a coalition of national women’s organizations that successfully pushed for FDA approval of the first-ever medical treatment for women’s most common sexual dysfunction. The New York Times said that “the controversial campaign … helped tip the balance for [the drug], which has been rejected twice by the FDA.”


In addition, Amber serves as a senior strategic advisor for an innovative diagnostics company that created the first at-home COVID test to receive FDA emergency authorization, provided communications counsel to an association of the nation’s top health care insurers, and managed communications for the launch of a new national mental health initiative, executing a strategy that resulted in broad national coverage of the initiative’s inaugural events.


Prior to Blue Engine, Amber served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, as well as Speechwriter and Press Secretary for Tom Udall of New Mexico. A proud Volunteer State native, Amber also was a communications advisor for Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen.


Amber began her career as a political reporter for the Associated Press in Nashville. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and her Master’s Degree from The George Washington University. An avid traveler, Amber lacks only Antarctica in her quest to conquer all seven continents – a trip she says is just around the corner.