AAA: New Spokesman for North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (May 21, 2024) — AAA - The Auto Club Group today announced that Skyler McKinley will serve as the regional director of public affairs for North Dakota, overseeing the organization's media, government relations, and community engagement portfolios as part of a new territory that encompasses North Dakota, Colorado, and Minnesota. He has been the public affairs director at AAA in Colorado for more than seven years. His appointment comes in the wake of the retirement of longtime AAA North Dakota spokesperson Gene LaDoucer, a familiar face who represented AAA for more than 20 years.

"It's no question to anybody who's ever worked with him that Gene LaDoucer is irreplaceable," McKinley said. "Still, I'm excited to step into his shoes and explore North Dakota, which I've always appreciated one of the most striking states in the country. As a born-and-raised Coloradan, I think I've got enough snow gear to do the job, too." 

McKinley will be based in Colorado - though he will travel frequently to North Dakota as he puts together a new team there and in Minnesota. 

About Skyler McKinley:

J. Skyler McKinley leads the public affairs teams at AAA - The Auto Club Group in Colorado, North Dakota, and Minnesota. He is an established expert in the media and before policymakers on issues related to non-automotive mobility, automotive technology, traffic safety, leisure travel, and property and casualty insurance – and more. 

McKinley was the founding deputy director of Gov. John Hickenlooper's Office of Marijuana Coordination, where he served as the number-two official in charge of implementing Colorado’s new-to-the-world cannabis laws. His work within the governor’s office won praise from The Brookings Institution, The Cato Institute, The New York Times, and "60 Minutes," among others, and McKinley has spoken on policy implementation before state and local governments, major corporations, and universities across Colorado and the nation.

As a communications and policy adviser to a member of House leadership in the Colorado General Assembly, McKinley received a formal commendation on the House floor for “pioneering work in new media.” He later contributed to the book, “Citizen Power: A Mandate for Change,” with former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel, and worked as a writer and researcher at the Investigative Reporting Workshop in Washington, D.C.

McKinley has advised a number of prominent elected officials in Colorado, including Lakewood Mayors Adam Paul, Bob Murphy, and Steve Burkholder; former Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett; former state Sen. and now-Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr; and former Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder George Stern. In 2007, he helped produce a television spot that Time Magazine called one of the “Top 10 Campaign Ads of All Time." In 2021, he built and managed a custom transportation system for CNN’s special coverage of the presidential inauguration.

McKinley holds degrees in journalism and legal theory, summa cum laude, from American University in Washington, D.C. He chairs the board of directors of Transportation Solutions, a Denver-based transportation management association, and serves as treasurer on the board of the Denver Press Club, America's oldest press club. He’s a member of the Oak Creek Fire Protection District board of directors. 

In his free time, he owns and occasionally bartends at the Oak Creek Tavern, a historic saloon in the rural heart of the Yampa Valley - voted the best bar in Routt County by the readers of the Steamboat Pilot & Today. He also contributes to Westword, Denver’s famed alt-weekly, where he writes about travel, history, culture, and food and drink.