27.09.22
Omari Hardy is a talented writer, a former public servant, and a rising communications professional in Washington, D.C. At Seven Letter, Omari works closely with non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, and national advocacy groups – helping them hone their messages, tell their stories, navigate crises, and enhance their reputations.
It was during his time in office – serving in the minority both in the Florida House and on the City Commission – that Omari learned the value of effective public relations.
Before joining Seven Letter, Omari held elected office in Florida. He served in the Florida House of Representatives and, before that, as a City Commissioner in Lake Worth Beach, where he was just the second African American in the city’s history to have served on the City Commission. It was during his time in office – serving in the minority both in the Florida House and on the City Commission – that Omari learned the value of effective public relations. To advance his legislative agenda, and overcome the partisan divide, he had to win the support of the public and then leverage public support to gain the support of his colleagues. It was a political baptism by fire, and a rigorous, real-world study in strategic communications.
As a freshman lawmaker, Omari was able to pass bipartisan legislation affording more authority to cities and counties to plan their communities as they see fit. He also obtained a $1 million appropriation for a public safety complex in his district, the largest appropriation awarded that year to a freshman lawmaker in the minority.
As a City Commissioner, his grassroots organizing led to the passage of an innovative community ID program despite the opposition of the city’s Mayor and Commission Chairperson. The program has – since its inception – helped over 3,000 undocumented immigrants in Palm Beach County obtain identification and access basic city services.
And when questions arose, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as to whether communities of color were given equitable access to the vaccine, it was Omari – then a freshman lawmaker – who was featured prominently in a 60-Minutes report on the issue. His effective use of social media, traditional media, and grassroots organizing made Omari a go-to source for local, state, and national reporters covering Florida’s response to the pandemic.
Prior to serving in elected office, Omari was a public school educator, teaching civics to 7th-graders in inner-city West Palm Beach. He also worked with the Housing Center of the Palm Beaches, where he managed a unique partnership between the local school district and the local housing authority, a partnership aimed at ensuring that the children who lived in public housing had the educational resources they needed to achieve their potential.
Omari was born and raised in Florida. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami, majoring in economics and minoring in philosophy. He works in Seven Letter’s office in Washington, D.C., where he recently relocated to be with his wife and their infant daughter.
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