Gerald Monroe Rafshoon is an American television producer and political operative. He is one of the four founding members of Unity08, and was the White House Communications Director under the presidency of Jimmy Carter (in doing so, Mr. Rafshoon became the first professional advertising executive to join the White House staff), and is a television producer. In January 2008, Rafshoon and fellow Unity08 co-founder Doug Bailey left that organization to launch a national effort to draft New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for President of the United States as an independent candidate. Rafshoon has spent over 40 years in various aspects of communications including advertising, publicity, politics and film. His experience includes running a successful advertising agency, serving as White House Communications Director and as Producer and Executive Producer of motion pictures for television and cable. In 1976, Rafshoon was the architect of the advertising and public relations campaign that helped an unknown Southern Governor and peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter, in his drive to become the 39th President of the United States. Following his White House years, Rafshoon began producing motion pictures and television programs. He is a specialist in international co-productions working closely with the leading television networks and production companies in Europe and filming in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.