Don Fields has over 20 years specializing in the use of communications strategies to influence decision-making in the political process.  Don has extensive experience in legislative bill writing, strategy formulation, satellite communications, investigative news reporting and grassroots organizing.  Currently Don Fields is the President of RF Communications Inc., a firm that specializes in carefully crafted strategy, grassroots organizing and in depth research for maximum media influence. In this capacity Don has spear-headed many political campaigns. Most recently with less than a $100,000 in hand Don’s firm succeeded in defeating a mutli-million dollar Measure O campaign by a margin of 69% to 31% through a series of news events including TV and print coverage.  Don Fields led the legislative fight against the oil industry effort to repeal a one hundred year old anti-war pollution law (SB 649). The Governor signed a cleanup measure, which removed some of the worst provisions of SB 649. RF Communications triggered a statewide media campaign that stopped the diesel fuel industry’s attempt to gut the Air Resources Board’s regulations. Another example of Don’s strategic abilities is the defeat of the new car dealer industry to create ten-mile radius de facto monopolies over the new emerging auto service center business. Other successful campaign strategies include the defeat of the California Public Utilities Commission’s “PoolCo Plan” to restructure the state’s utility industry.
Don crafted the strategy that defeated Proposition 197, a measure to reinstate trophy hunting of mountain lions.  An FPPC/Attorney General’s investigation of the Department of Food and Agriculture, which resulted in the resignation of the Secretary of Agriculture and moved the Assembly Floor to the first marketing reform legislation in over 50 years was initiated by Don Fields and his colleagues.  RF Communications played a strategies role in the persuading the Democratic Legislature to overhaul the State’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Program. He also formulated the strategy and executed the media plan that resulted in a $250 million public acquisition of Southern Pacific’s Caltrain right a way between San Francisco and San Jose.  Before his work at RF Communications, Don Fields distinguished himself as Bureau Chief/Producer at KRON TV-San Francisco.  His work garnered him an Emmy nomination for the series “Murder at San Quentin” and he won an Emmy for the documentary on the Diablo Nuclear Power Plant.  Prior to that Don Fields worked for the Department of Consumer Affairs and to the Assembly Speaker Pro Temp.  Don Fields has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, San Francisco.  He was awarded a scholarship to participate in the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center’s special program on polling and survey research methodology.  Don Fields is married to Ginger Rutland and has two daughters.

See articles about Don
December 22, 1988, Los Angeles Times, “TV tunes out Sacramento”
April 12, 1994, Los Angeles Times, “Public relations in state capitol”
July 16, 1995, The Sacramento Bee, “PR Firm’s plum job proved fruitful for
media attention”
July 13, 1998, Capitol Weekly, “Don Fields attempts to restore lost art of communication”
November 18, 1998, Sacramento Bee, “TV’s pullout from capitol”
December 16, 1998, The Wall Street Journal, “Union pacific faces a foe it can’t easily steamroller”