Chandler Smith Costello is a senior public affairs and communications strategist with deep experience at the highest levels of the federal government. She advises companies, trade associations, and coalitions on reputation, crisis communications, and issue positioning, with particular strength in matters where regulatory scrutiny, congressional attention, and media coverage converge.
Before entering private practice, Chandler served as Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during the Trump Administration, helping lead communications for the nation’s top markets regulator. She previously spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, serving as National Communications Director for Senator John Thune (R-SD), now Senate Majority Leader, and as Communications Director for the Senate Republican Conference. She also served as Communications Director for Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) in both his official office and his 2012 Senate campaign.
Chandler brings an insider’s understanding of how Washington works to client engagements: how regulators weigh public statements, how congressional offices decide what to amplify, and how a story moves between the Hill, the agencies, and the press. She is at her best when the audience is skeptical, the subject is complex, and every word will be read closely.
Chandler is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.
