The Wall Street Journal tapped EverOn CEO Tom Mertz as a trusted expert on the fast-rising demand for cooling infrastructure in AI data centers, highlighting his perspective as the market accelerates and EverOn’s relevance in one of the most important growth conversations shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
With more than two decades of experience in public relations and journalism, Mike is a strategic communications leader who focuses on media relations and reputation management.
He leverages his background as a former news editor to develop media strategies that drive visibility and engagement, excelling at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms. Mike has a passion for helping his clients understand how to create strategic communications plans that move the meter and uncover impactful stories to secure high-profile placements in top-tier outlets, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today.
His practice spans an array of industries, but he specializes in the healthcare, nonprofit and entertainment sectors, where he’s led award-winning campaigns for a variety of clients, including Kaiser Permanente, YMCA and Georgia Film Academy. His work for City of Hope, formerly Cancer Treatment Centers of American, began with its groundbreaking, development of a comprehensive marketing communications program, carried through establishing the hospital’s reputation for world-class treatment and spurred growth that greatly exceeded patient projections. For Georgia Film Academy, Mike, developed paid, earned, shared and owned media strategies that boosted course enrollment by 22% and established Executive Director Scot Votaw as a go-to industry thought leader. And as Georgia became the “Hollywood of the South,” he led promotion of Pinewood Atlanta Studios’ rebrand as Trilith, a unique 235-acre master-planned community designed for the film and creative industries that’s home to Trilith Live, Trilith Studios, homes, restaurants and retailers.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mike earned his degree in speech communication from the University of Georgia. He is deeply engaged in the community, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Chattahoochee Nature Center and co-chairing the PRSA Georgia Healthcare Resource Group. An avid sports enthusiast and tennis player, he resides in Marietta, Georgia, with his wife and two children.