Biography:

Doug Usher serves as senior vice president, and directs Widmeyer Research and Polling. Usher brings a decade’s worth of public opinion research experience to all of Widmeyer’s practice areas.  His most recent work has been on behalf of public interest, higher education, institutional and corporate clients in the areas of education, health care, insurance, and corporate positioning.  Recent work includes research and messaging projects for Nestle, S.A., Pfizer, Inc., the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Pew Center on the States, Wellesley College, the College of the Holy Cross, and the Carnegie IAS Commission on Math and Science.

Usher’s work provides critical insight and strategic direction for Widmeyer’s clients.  His team’s opinion research spans a wide variety of audiences and includes elite-level work among industry, media and policy leaders.  More recently, Usher has used new digital monitoring technology to measure social media trends for clients across a wide variety of subject areas.

An expert on opinion research methodology and US election, he lectures widely on public opinion, conducts seminars for the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors program, advises the Homeland Security Institute, and has served as an expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice. Usher has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, National Public Radio, and CBC TV in Canada for his analysis of trends in public opinion and politics.  His writing has been published in National Journal’s Hotline, Inside Higher Ed, Political Research Quarterly, The Hill, The Politico, and Campaigns and Elections. 

Prior to joining Widmeyer, Usher served as vice president of The Mellman Group, where he conducted public opinion research for dozens of successful Democratic candidates at all levels of government.  He also led research efforts for some of the nation’s largest public interest groups, labor unions, trade associations and corporations, including the National Education Association, the California Teachers Association, Coca Cola Enterprises, the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, and Reading is Fundamental. 

Usher holds a Master's and Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University, with a focus on advanced statistical techniques and research methodology.  Born in Montreal and raised in Washington, D.C., Usher received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. He currently lives in Washington with his wife and two children.

Contact information:

• 1129 20th St NW, Suite 200,
  Washington, DC 20036
  Phone 202.667.0901
  Fax 202.667.0902