Justin Berton is a media relations expert based in the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area. His firm, Berton Media, creates proactive media campaigns for regional civic leaders, government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and private sector clients. 

As Director of Communications to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for five years, Berton worked closely with regional community organizations and served as the Mayor’s lead communications strategist and advisor. He led strategic communications and media outreach on key citywide initiatives including Keep Oakland Housed, a novel homelessness-prevention model that provides tenants with rental assistance and legal representation; #OaklandUndivided, which delivered free laptops and internet connectivity to 50,000 public school students during the COVID-19 pandemic; and Oakland Resilient Families, one of the nation’s largest guaranteed income pilots for low-income families.

He led communications strategy during negotiations with the Oakland’s A’s for development of the Howard Terminal Ballpark Neighborhood to ensure media engagement was proactive, consistent, and transparent. He media-trained staff and executives for high-stakes interviews and public presentations. Berton also directed crisis communications for the Mayor’s Office and served as the Mayor’s chief spokesperson, media liaison, and speechwriter. 

Most recently, Berton served as Director of Communications and Government Affairs at the Port of San Francisco, where he led strategic communications for a 250-employee government agency that manages 7.5 miles of iconic California waterfront. Before his media relations career, Berton covered Oakland and the Bay Area as a general assignment reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and taught journalism at San Francisco State University. He graduated from San Francisco State with a degree in journalism and minor in political science. 

Berton Media offers expertise in developing narrative strategies, connecting with media, and directing crisis communications.