Profile:  

• Key administrator in a large agency in Columbus city government

• An advisor to the Columbus Mayor and several members of the Columbus City Council

• Former external affairs lead for Smart Columbus, Columbus' Smart City initiative

• Former state higher education lobbyist and communications executive

• Former press secretary for statewide elected official

• Former award winning newspaper political reporter

Bio:  

Jeff Ortega is a seasoned communications and public engagement professional with deep experience at the intersection of city government, state government, and the private sector. Known for his strategic instincts, steady leadership, and ability to translate complex issues into clear, compelling messages, Ortega helps organizations earn trust, manage scrutiny, and achieve results.

Ortega has held senior communications roles across Columbus city government, including serving as Assistant Director—and later Interim Director—of Communications for Columbus City Council. In that role, he led comprehensive communications efforts on a wide range of legislative, policy, and political issues, advising elected officials and managing high-profile initiatives in a fast-paced, high- visibility environment.

He also served as Assistant Director of the Columbus Department of Public Service, where he oversaw media relations, public engagement, and coordination with City Council, ensuring alignment between policy priorities, operational realities, and public expectations. Later, at the Columbus Department of Public Utilities, Ortega managed communications around the city’s environmental protection plan and worked closely with the Mayor’s Office on sustainability messaging— helping make complex infrastructure and environmental issues accessible to residents and stakeholders.

At the state level, Ortega served as the chief press spokesperson for the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, gaining firsthand experience navigating statewide media, elections-related issues, and intense public scrutiny.

Before entering government, Ortega was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor, covering Ohio politics and public policy with depth and credibility. That journalism background continues to inform his work today, giving him a keen sense of how stories are shaped, how reporters think, and how to position messages so they break through.

Across every role, Ortega brings a rare combination of government savvy, media insight, and strategic judgment—making him a trusted advisor for clients facing complex policy challenges and public-facing campaigns.