GPO Director Names Chief Communications Officer

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern has named Gary Somerset the Agency’s Chief Communications Officer. As Chief Communications Officer, Somerset serves as Agency spokesperson, manages GPO’s social media platforms, oversees GPO’s public relations activities, employee communications, branding, photography and events. He serves as the principal advisor to GPO’s Director, Deputy Director and Chief of Staff and executives on all communication strategies and opportunities.

“Communication is critical to everything we do, and Gary leads a team that delivers for GPO teammates and the public,” said Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern. “Gary effectively led all of our communication groups through the COVID-19 pandemic. His institutional knowledge of GPO as well as his broadcasting background have made him an invaluable resource to our team. GPO congratulates Gary on this promotion.”

Somerset has more than two decades of media, public relations and communications experience. Prior to being promoted to Chief Communications Officer in 2023, he managed GPO’s Public Relations Office. He has been part of the Agency’s Public Relations Office since 2006. During his tenure, Somerset has promoted and placed numerous stories on the important work GPO teammates do for our country in national media and has been responsible for the Agency’s social media platforms. He has been awarded an American Business Award for Public Relations Production of the Year, among many others. Somerset has also been honored for his public relations initiatives by the leader of GPO with three Public Printer Distinguished Service Awards. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led all of the Agency’s communications groups to more than doubling the amount of information disseminated to external and internal audiences, which was instrumental in GPO being named one of the best places to work in America two years in a row.

Prior to coming to GPO, Somerset spent more than a decade working as a broadcast journalist at several network television affiliates throughout the country. He covered Presidential campaigns, newsmakers and community issues as a news anchor/reporter at WSYX-TV in Columbus, OH, WKEF-TV in Dayton, OH, WXXA-TV in Albany, NY and KSWT-TV in Yuma, AZ. Somerset began his television career at WFSB-TV in his home state of Connecticut.

Somerset graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, MA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism.