SOAR Blog

David “Poppa P” Politis, CEO

David is an award-winning public relations professional, with more than 50 industry awards to his credit during his 20-plus years as a communications consultant. As an outdoor enthusiast, David’s passions range from camping and fishing to playing, coaching and officiating in competitive sports.

David founded SOAR Communications in 2004 as a strategic communications agency targeting clients in the sports, outdoor, athletics and recreation industries when he realized that at the time there were no Utah-based agencies focused on these markets.

In addition to his work at SOAR, David also heads Politis Communications, an agency he formed in 1990 that specializes in working with organizations in the high-tech and life science industries. In 1999, Politis Communications was selected as one of the 100 fastest growing firms in Utah as a member of the Utah100, by the MountainWest Capital Network (MWCN), formerly known as the MountainWest Venture Group.

David began his professional career in 1984 “back home” in the center of Silicon Valley working as publicist for Tycer-Fultz-Bellack, at the time, the largest high-tech advertising/public relations agency west of the Mississippi River. He then headed north to Seattle where he launched the public relations practice at TFB/Davis and built it into the second largest technology PR firm in Washington within a two-year period.

The entrepreneurial bug bit David again as he co-founded DSW Public Relations in Salt Lake City in 1987, a firm he grew into the second largest PR practice in Utah within two years. Since 1990, he has headed Politis Communications, a strategic communications agency providing public/investor relations and marketing communications services to clients in the high tech and life science industries. Selected in 1999 by the MountainWest Venture Group (MWVG) as one of the 100 fastest growing firms in Utah, Politis Communications is a thriving agency today, with clients around the U.S.

In spite of his time spent fishing Utah’s award-winning waters and backpacking in its awe-inspiring mountains, it was David’s first visit to the annual Outdoor Retailer Exposition in August 2004 that really opened his eyes to the opportunity of an agency focused specifically on outdoor recreation. After several weeks of intensive market research, David decided to start SOAR Communications as a division of Politis Communications, and opened its doors shortly thereafter.

Born in San Francisco and raised in the S. F. Bay Area, David learned to love the outdoors by fishing in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range, camping, backpacking, hiking and picnicking in both California’s coastal mountain range, as well as in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He has participated in a variety of sports and athletic endeavors during his life, including playing and coaching on championship teams in sports ranging from volleyball to basketball and from football to softball. David stays active today in a number of ways, including cycling and running, as well as serving as a referee for church league basketball games and volleyball matches.

David received his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from BYU, and he currently lives with family in Sandy, Utah.

Chip Smith, President

As a California native, Chip developed an early love for outdoor sports through water and snow skiing, road and mountain biking, surfing and a few years of football and cross-country running.

His passion for sports helped him develop into a successful marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience in the sporting goods, healthcare, software and communications industries. The majority of those years were spent with sporting goods industry leaders Shimano American Corporation and Specialized Bicycles, Inc.

Chip began his career in 1988 with the Los Angeles office of Ogilvy & Mather advertising, where he spent three years as a billing supervisor. He then spent seven years in sales and marketing positions with Shimano American Corporation, the world’s dominant leader in bicycle components. As marketing manager, Chip directed the company’s strategy and execution of advertising, collateral, point-of-purchase, trade show, advocacy efforts, governmental outreach, promotional efforts, as well as product launches to the trade, government and consumers in the U.S. market.

Specialized Bicycles recruited Chip away from Shimano to become its global marcom manager, a position he held for nearly three years as he directed a team in all aspects of Specialized’s international marketing communications efforts. Chip then spent the next four-plus years in a variety of marketing and sales consulting engagements with firms both inside and outside the recreation marketplace before joining SOAR Communications in 2005.

Chip earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University, and his MBA from Pepperdine University. He also lived in Tokyo, Japan for a year and half, where he learned the Japanese language.

He moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2004 where he lives, skis, and rides with his wife, Debbie and their soon to be adopted children.

Maura Lansford, Assistant Account Executive

Maura joined the company right out of college and began as an intern for Politis Communications in early 2006. Up until recently, Maura split her time between both Politis Communications and SOAR Communications.

In her time with SOAR, Maura gains media coverage for clients by coordinating product reviews, television programming and print coverage in media outlets such as Forbes.com, the Denver Post, and numerous industry-specific publications. In addition to her media placement efforts, Maura manages media registration for two of Neilsen Sports Group’s trade shows including Interbike – North America’s largest cycling event and the Health+Fitness Business Expo.

Prior to joining the Politis and SOAR team, Maura wrote and placed press releases, pitched local media, organized events and compiled client portfolios during internships for Crosby-Volmer International Communications and the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce.

Maura earned a bachelor of science degree in Communications from Brigham Young University–Idaho. She enjoys hiking and camping throughout Utah with her husband Cole, family and friends.

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