PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Weekly
BRIAN TIERNEY
AGE: 43
OCCUPATION: advertising/public relations executive; advocate for the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua.
HISTORY: A Springfield, Delaware County, native, Tierney graduated from Penn before earning a law degree from Widener University. He started working for the archdiocese in 1989, when Catholic officials approached him to examine their communications strategy, and has served as a consultant ever since. His work for the Catholic Church--including two terms on its school board--earned him distinction as a knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great from Pope John Paul II. Last year, the Republican National Committee tapped Tierney to head their efforts to get out the Catholic vote for George W. Bush. When the GOP was in town for its convention, he scored a First Union Center skybox for priests and Catholic officials. Aside from being known as Bevilacqua's spinmeister, he's widely considered the city's most powerful PR exec. His firm is responsible for Philadelphia's "The Place That Loves You Back" tourism slogan.
