Bill Crane is nearing 30 years as a senior communications strategist. He began his career in broadcasting, and later served in senior communications staff positions under Georgia’s Gold Dome as well as on Capitol Hill, working for two U.S. Senators and one Governor, in both major political parties. Crane also has significant economic development experience, serving as Vice-President of Marketing and Communications for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Forward Atlanta during Atlanta’s Olympic years.
During the prior decade, Crane was a Senior Vice President with the GCI Group, a global public relations firm, where he helmed client engagements for AFLAC, Cousins Properties, Deloitte Consulting, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Johnson & Johnson among others.
Since the 2000 Presidential Election, Crane has become one of the southeast’s most visible political analysts and commentators, first with 11Alive News, Atlanta’s NBC affiliate, and now Channel 2’s WSB-TV Action News. Crane added radio commentary in 2006, since providing analysis for WSB-95.5 FM as well as 750AM, and other CMG properties. In 2009, Crane began a weekly and now syndicated political column entitled “One Man’s Opinion.” In addition to his hometown newspapers in DeKalb County, The Champion (DeKalb’s legal organ) and DeKalb’s Champion Free Press, “One Man’s Opinion” appears in The Brunswick News, Our Town Gwinnett, The Darien News, AccessWDUN.com, WSBRadio.com as well as several dozen other print and online media outlets across Georgia.
Also in 2009, Crane opened his own shop, CSI Crane, LLC, providing a full range of marketing, public affairs, and communications services to individuals and corporations. CSI Crane specializes in corporate reputation and executive visibility, strategic media relations and thought leadership, as well as crisis communications particularly well suited for the needs of highly regulated industries.
Crane is a graduate of the Grady College of Journalism at the University of Georgia. He remains an avid Bulldog fan, and the proud father of two daughters, and grandfather of twin boys. He travels frequently for business and as a keynote speaker and is active as a board member on more than half a dozen non-profit organizations. Crane lives in Scottdale, Georgia, the offices of CSI Crane are nearby in Decatur.
Weekly Column:
- One Man’s Opinion, “First Bro Breakup,”
Monday, June 9, 2025 Bill Crane Noting that at least two egos in that Oval Office are roughly the size of the edifices on Mount Rushmore, it was reasonably clear to me that the White House bromance between President Donald J. Trump, and entrepreneur Elon Musk could not last. That said, I did not expect… - One Man’s Opinion: The Incredibly High Cost of FreedomMonday, May 26, 2025 -Bill Crane- Millions of Americans just spent a relaxing or enjoyable weekend, welcoming summer, wrapping up the school year and graduation ceremonies, and heading out on long weekend mini-trips and even stay-cations, firing up the barbecue, opening up their community pool…or simply tossing back a few with family…
- One Man’s Opinion, “Oh, Canada!”Monday, May 12, 2025 -Bill Crane It has been a few years since my last trip to the Florida panhandle, where our family had a vacation home on St. George Island, which offered many incredible charms including houses with views of both the Gulf of Mexico, as well as Apalachicola Bay. And on…
- One Man’s Opinion, “Room with a View,”Monday, May 5, 2025 -Bill Crane For the Graduates of 2025, Aim High – In 1887, Gustave Eiffel and his team began construction of what was then intended to be a temporary monument, to be completed in time for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, and commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the French Revolution. And…