FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2025
For more information, contact:
slee211@lsu.edu

BATON ROUGE— The LSU Manship School of Mass Communication announced today that Michael DiResto has been hired as the new Director of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs. DiResto’s first day in the position is today, February 24.

DiResto brings to the Reilly Center’s leadership more than 25 years of experience in media relations, public affairs, political and strategic communications, public policy research and development, and executive management, with a strong track record of building coalitions, working with community partners, and engaging stakeholders on civic initiatives to improve quality of life in Louisiana.

"With Michael at the helm, the Reilly Center is poised to grow as a leading voice in media and public affairs,” said Manship School Dean Kim Bissell, Ph.D. “His experience and vision will create new opportunities for research, collaboration, and meaningful public dialogue that will elevate the Manship School and LSU."

For DiResto, joining the Reilly Center feels like his career has come full circle, because his first job after moving to Baton Rouge in 1996 was teaching freshman English, through a graduate assistantship, at LSU. “It’s a thrill to be back at LSU and an honor to be leading the Reilly Center going forward,” DiResto said.

Building on the Reilly Center’s strong foundation, DiResto plans to work collaboratively with stakeholders inside and outside the university to expand and refine the Reilly Center’s strategic goals.

“In pursuing strategic goals, my aim is for all of our work to be grounded, when it comes to research, as non-partisan, fact-based, and data-driven, and, when it comes to dialogues and panel discussions, as thought-provoking and reflecting multiple perspectives,” said DiResto. “My vision is to help position the Reilly Center to be a nationally recognized thought leader, an asset informing issues important to the people of Louisiana, and a partner to the Baton Rouge region and across LSU departments, especially the Manship School’s faculty, staff, and students.”

DiResto most recently served as Executive Vice President of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), after being promoted from Senior Vice President for Economic Competitiveness, with oversight of the organization’s public policy, research, and advocacy efforts. Two highlights of DiResto’s accomplishments at BRAC include creating and leading the business-backed CRISIS coalition that has secured significant transportation infrastructure investments for the Capital Region; and organizing the public policy agendas and panel speakers for Canvas Benchmarking trips to Phoenix/Tucson, Cincinnati, and Greenville, SC, as well as post-trip task forces that resulted in many successful civic initiatives.

Prior to working at BRAC, DiResto served as Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Communication in Louisiana State Government’s Division of Administration, and before that as Communications Director for then-Congressman Richard Baker (LA-6).

DiResto holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in English from the University of Dallas and pursued doctoral studies in English (ABD) at LSU with a goal of becoming an English professor before being lured away to a career in public affairs. Away from work, DiResto likes to spend as much time as possible reading, cooking, and bicycling.

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The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge. Underlying the Center’s endeavors is to strengthen and advance the Manship School’s national and state leadership in media and politics. Follow us on Facebook @ReillyCenter, X @ReillyCenter, Instagram @lsureillycenter and LinkedIn LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs. LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, Certificate of Strategic Communication and a dual MMC/Law degree. Like us on Facebook @ManshipSchool, or follow us on X @ManshipSchool, Instagram @ManshipSchool and LinkedIn LSU Manship School of Mass Communication.