Trusted advisor to CEOs, developers, nonprofits, public institutions, and civic leaders advancing critical initiatives and navigating high-stakes policy, land use, and reputation challenges.
🎯 Manolatos Public Affairs
Strategic Public Affairs for High-Stakes Challenges
Organizations call Tony when the stakes are high.
For more than 20 years, Tony has advised CEOs, developers, nonprofits, and public institutions on high-stakes public affairs challenges—helping them navigate land use battles, complex policy issues, crisis situations, and reputation-defining moments.
When Something Comes Up
A lot of Tony's work starts in smaller, high-impact moments—when something needs a quick read, a second set of eyes, or a clear path forward.
Pressure Test
A focused call to talk through a situation and get a clear, experienced perspective on what matters and what to do next.
Before You Send It
A quick review of an email, statement, or talking points before they’re finalized—making sure they land the right way.
Ongoing Support
Available when needed for a quick gut check, perspective, or help thinking through how to respond.
Most engagements begin this way and expand into broader strategic work as needed.
How Tony Helps
Clients Win
Public Affairs Campaigns
When organizations need to build support for a new initiative—or face organized opposition and complex policy challenges—success depends on more than messaging. It requires clear strategy, disciplined execution, and the ability to align the right voices at the right time.
Tony leads comprehensive public affairs campaigns that align communications, stakeholders, and coalitions to build support, secure approvals, and move critical issues forward.
These campaigns are often high-stakes and time-sensitive, requiring the ability to navigate competing interests across business, government, nonprofits, and the community.
Typical engagements include:
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Leading public affairs and land use campaigns, including ballot measures and critical issues
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Policy advocacy and government relations strategy
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Stakeholder and community engagement
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Coalition building and coordination
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Local, state, and national media strategy and execution
Crisis Communications & Reputation Management
When reputations are on the line, experience matters. Tony helps leaders and organizations navigate difficult moments, shape the narrative, and protect their credibility with media, policymakers, and the public.
Services include:
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Crisis communications strategy
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Media response and message development
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Executive communications counsel
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Rapid-response communications
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Reputation recovery strategies
Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Strong strategy and disciplined storytelling shape how organizations are understood by the audiences that matter most. Tony works with clients to develop communications strategies that influence public opinion and drive outcomes.
In addition to his local and statewide media contacts, Tony maintains national relationships with reporters at outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Politico, and Reuters, including journalists he worked alongside during his time as a reporter. These relationships, combined with structured outreach strategy, allow for rapid national engagement when warranted.
Services include:
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Strategic messaging and narrative development
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Media relations and press strategy (local, state and national)
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Executive communications and speechwriting
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Campaign messaging and communications planning
Coalition Building & Community Engagement
Many public affairs challenges are won or lost in the community.
Tony helps organizations build broad coalitions and engage stakeholders in ways that create momentum and credibility.
Services include:
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Stakeholder mapping and outreach strategy
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Coalition development
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Community engagement campaigns
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Nonprofit and civic partnerships
A Different Kind of Public Affairs Partner
Tony is known for assembling and managing high-performing teams of specialists — including lobbyists, digital strategists, researchers, and communications professionals — to execute complex campaigns.
This collaborative approach ensures clients have the right expertise to achieve their goals.
With a deep network across business, government, media (local, state, and national), and civic leadership, Tony helps clients navigate challenges and seize opportunities others might miss.
Campaigns That Deliver Results
Tony and his teams have led successful campaigns and initiatives for several leading organizations including:
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Sempra
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Port of San Diego
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Toll Brothers
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Girl Scouts San Diego
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San Diego Unified School District
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San Diego County Building Industry Association
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Regional Task Force on Homelessness
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Community Resource Center
Let's Talk
When organizations face high-stakes public affairs challenges,
Tony helps them develop the strategy — and assemble the team
— to win.
Contact Tony to start the conversation.
BEYOND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
⚾ Baseball Dad
& PR Guy
Tony writes Baseball Dad & PR Guy to help parents support their kids’ baseball journeys—and to share what he’s learned from two worlds that have more in common than you’d think: youth baseball and public relations.
Both require preparation, communication, leadership, patience, and resilience. Both also reveal how people respond under pressure, and how we handle those moments.
Through his son, his teammates, and their coaches, Tony has developed a deep appreciation for the game—its challenges, its rhythms, and the lessons it teaches.
He writes about youth sports culture, leadership, and how adults shape the experience for kids.
🎙 Dear San Diego Podcast
Dear San Diego gives newsmakers and community leaders a platform to talk about the big issues of the day — and who they are beyond their bios. Guests share personal stories, lessons learned, and secrets to success.
Tony and his co-host Juan Hernandez of IVC Media also dive into their lives outside the office: work, fatherhood, health and wellness, and youth sports — where the politics can be even fiercer than at City Hall.
Juan and Tony met a decade ago while working for dueling mayoral candidates in San Diego. Since then they have teamed up on numerous public affairs, land-use, and issue campaigns.