Daniel Cherrin is a strategic advisor and facilitator who helps leaders navigate complexity, protect credibility, and move from reactive problem-solving to durable systems change.

An attorney by training and founder of North Coast Strategies, a strategic advisory firm, Daniel works at the intersection of law, policy, and public perception. He advises executives, public officials, universities, associations, and growth-stage companies facing legal, political, or reputational risk. His work combines discreet crisis management, strategic communications, and structured facilitation to bring clarity to high-stakes situations where trust has eroded and the path forward is unclear.

In Michigan, Daniel has guided behavioral health collaboratives and provider networks through major policy reforms, aligning diverse stakeholders to protect services and strengthen accountability in public systems. He has facilitated complex, multi-party initiatives, including a countywide transit strategy in Washtenaw County, helping leaders and voters build consensus around public transportation.

His background spans government, lobbying, and global communications. He previously served as Communications Director and Press Secretary for the City of Detroit under Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., managing high-pressure public messaging during a period of transition. He later served as a Washington lobbyist for the Detroit Regional Chamber, where he led a binational coalition that helped keep the U.S.–Canadian border open for the auto industry and Detroit’s hospitals in the aftermath of 9/11.

In the private sector, Daniel has led communications strategies for global innovators in climate and energy, helping companies secure major investment, attract coverage in outlets including The Economist, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek, and earn international recognition such as the Earthshot Prize, Prix Voltaire International, Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and Time’s 100 Most Influential Companies. His work supports organizations at critical moments, from investment rounds to regulatory scrutiny, ensuring their narratives align with long-term strategy and trust.

Across all of his work, Daniel’s approach is grounded in dialogue, structure, relationships and connectivity. Whether mitigating reputational risk, advising through legislative transitions, or designing processes to repair fractured systems, he helps leaders find a seat at the table and start the conversation.