Neil Romano

Considered one of the nation’s leading authorities in the field of media and public advocacy, Mr. Romano has dedicated his career to the marketing of ideas and messages to help save lives and promote public policy. He founded Romano & Associates Inc., which produced highly visible and effective public awareness programs, as well as America’s Strength, a not for profit organization which works to promote the importance of hiring individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Romano’s extensive professional background includes tenure as director of communications for the White House Office of Drug Abuse Policy.  In that role, he worked on campaigns such as “Just Say No” and “America Responds to AIDS.” 

In 2007 Mr. Romano was nominated by President George W. Bush to be the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  As head of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Mr. Romano advised the Secretary of Labor and worked with all DOL agencies to lead a comprehensive and coordinated national policy regarding the employment of people with disabilities in the United States.

Mr. Romano'  innovative work as a member of the  Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled, has been described as having generated historic improvement in the quality of life for workers with disabilities. In 2010 Mr. Romano work while a member of that committee was recognized by the full committee with a special leadership award.

A noted producer / director Mr. Romano's film, “Youth Homicide: A Public Health Crisis", earned an Emmy Nomination for him in the category of Best Director. And his most recent film "America's Strength", which documents the inspiring stories of people with disabilities in main stream employment, is due to be released nationally in the summer of 2010.

Mr. Romano has served as a member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, and presently serves on a number of diverse national boards of directors. He has advised the Association for People in Supported Employment, the U.S. Business Leadership Network, and other disability employment groups which use a “business to business” approach to promote the imperative of hiring people with disabilities.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mr. Romano currently resides in Clarksville, Maryland with his wife, Barbara, and his daughters, Bianca and Christina.