“A crisis is a crisis for as long as you allow it to be. Once you recognize you are in one, it is time to plan the strategy to exit it as quickly as possible!”~ T.J. Smith
TJ Smith Media, doing business as Critical Point Strategies, was founded by its principal, T.J. Smith. In his various roles, Smith has been a top level executive and trusted advisor to multiple chiefs, commissioners, mayors, county executives, other elected officials, business leaders, community leaders, and more on a variety of topics including communication strategies, crime prevention/advice/strategies, management, crisis strategy, media strategies, and more. Smith has assisted in developing media plans and executing press strategies as well as marketing. He ran a joint information center in response to civil unrest after what residents, business leaders, and politicians called a catastrophic communication failure following the unrest in Baltimore in 2015.
Smith is a retired law enforcement commander who also served as the civilian chief of communications for the Baltimore Police Department, the nation’s eight largest municipal police department. He then served as press secretary and spokesman for the Baltimore County government and county executive. Smith was known for his transformational leadership, candid style, and on-camera command presence that brought about calm, reassurance, and clarity during crises over the course of his career in three separate metropolitan jurisdictions. Smith was a former candidate for mayor of Baltimore in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Smith continued consulting beyond the election with other elected officials. He also collaborated with a local business to help form and lead their non-profit organization during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic where they raised and donated nearly $500,000 for small businesses.
Smith earned his master’s in management from Johns Hopkins University and his master’s in strategic communication from Washington State University. Smith lives in Baltimore with his young son.
