Wendy Abrams,
Vice President of Transportation, Infrastructure & Mobility
Wendy Abrams is Vice President of Morreale Communications’ celebrated Transportation, Infrastructure and Mobility business. She is a professional offering comprehensive, results-driven strategies and management styles informed by her more than 20 years within government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Wendy specializes in building brands and comprehensive communications plans for infrastructure projects, media and public affairs and helping clients advance their business. Her accomplishments in media relations, corporate social responsibility, government affairs, crisis communications and community relations have earned her recognition from PRWeek, PR News, the Public Relations Society of America and the Publicity Club of Chicago.
Some of her most notable past work includes:
Serving as Chief Communications Officer for the Illinois Tollway, Wendy developed a comprehensive communications strategy and public outreach campaign for a 15-year, $12 billion capital construction program - the largest investment in the agency’s history.
Wendy was behind the legislative and public affairs campaign to expand the Illinois Lottery’s online gaming offerings on behalf of its private manager.
Wendy was Crown Castle’s liaison to government officials as the company sought regulatory authority for shared communications infrastructure investments in Chicago and throughout the Midwestern United States.
As Chief External Affairs Officer at Metra, Wendy was head of communications as the railroad successfully sought two consecutive fare increases for capital investment. She also oversaw a new Metra marketing and brand campaign to better engage new riders and a successful public policy initiative to increase penalties for drivers trying to cross railroad tracks after signals are activated.
A Chicago City Hall alumnus, Wendy is a past media spokesperson for the City of Chicago Office of Budget and Management and Assistant Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation. She was responsible for crisis communications and a National Transportation Safety Board hearing about a fatal accident at Midway International Airport.
Wendy earned her M.A. in Arts Administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a B.S. in Fine Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in Chicago with her husband and twin boys.