Tracy Schmaler was a member of the Student Press Law Center’s Board of Directors from 2018 through 2024. Meet the current board members.
Tracy Schmaler is owner and principal of Oxbow, a strategic communications consultancy specializing in advocacy communications and crisis and litigation support.
Building on her decades of experience at the highest levels of journalism, business and government, Tracy founded Oxbow to focus on crisis and issue management, social and criminal justice advocacy, and public affairs work.
Prior to starting Oxbow, Tracy was a managing director at the national public affairs firm Kivvit, where she managed the DC office, founded the crisis communications and litigation practice, and led the criminal justice reform portfolio. She advised clients on high-profile matters, as well as regulatory, congressional, and civil/criminal investigations, working regularly with Fortune 100 corporations and leading advocacy organizations. Much of her work involved engaging with clients, organizations, and media about changing the criminal justice system for the better.
Earlier in her career, Tracy led the Office of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice and served as senior advisor to former Attorney General Eric Holder. Tracy is a recipient of the Department’s highest award, the Edmund J. Randolph Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the accomplishments of the Department’s mission.
Tracy also managed global public affairs for Yahoo! Inc., where she advised the CEO and executive leadership team on communications strategy involving policy and regulatory issues and served on the company’s crisis communications team managing priority matters including congressional investigations, complex litigation and M&A issues.
Tracy spent time in Congress, working as the communications director for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). She began her career as an award-winning journalist — working as a statehouse and political reporter in New England, including in her home state of Vermont.
Tracy is a graduate of Emerson College and resides in Northern Virginia. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Student Press Law Center, a national legal assistance agency that supports high school and college news media in covering important issues free from censorship; and the Ivymount Corporation, a nationally recognized educational institution serving people with autism and special needs.