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Jacquie Lawing Ebert

Partner / Issue Communications / Education / Social Justice

Jacquie develops and executes research-based strategies that ensure powerful change takes hold and is sustainable in our nation’s communities. She has spearheaded much of GMMB’s work to improve the nation’s education system so all young people can succeed.

Years of experience working in Congress, on the 1992 Presidential campaign and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief of Staff at the Department of Housing and Urban Development give her a deep understanding of the nexus of politics, policy, and advocacy.

Whether it’s developing and executing a strategy to ensure bipartisan support for and strong implementation of high standards for advocacy organizations, working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to elevate the perspectives of critical stakeholders like students and teachers through insightful and fresh research, or advising clients on Personalized Learning communications, Jacquie will not stop until the job is done.

Caitlin Hodes

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications

Caitlin works with GMMB’s health care team, supporting clients including Maryland Health Benefit Exchange and the Missouri Foundation for Health. Caitlin has helped craft and execute communications strategies to advance causes such as improving access to affordable healthcare and decreasing childhood obesity.

Prior to joining GMMB, Caitlin completed an AmeriCorps fellowship in Chicago and worked as a Program Manager at a small nonprofit dedicated to streamlining social services for veterans in Illinois.

Blake Van Fleteren

Account Supervisor / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications

Blake is a do-gooder turned brand strategist, with a proven ability to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated ideas. He has worked on a wide range of brand strategy and marketing innovation projects, including overseeing product development within the Kellogg Company; repositioning a struggling brand for Mars Inc., and developing corporate co-branding opportunities for social ventures, such as Yellow Tractor and The Cara Project.

Having enjoyed a professional career of untraditional experiences, all of Blake’s work has been strung together by one common thread: impact. In 2010, Blake moved halfway around the world to the Philippines, where he served as a Youth and Community Development Volunteer with the United States Peace Corps. After two years of service, and launching a youth entrepreneurship program, Blake set his sights on a new adventure – Chicago. There he worked to further develop the local community of social entrepreneurs. His time with inspiring social ventures led him to pursue his MSW and MBA from the University of Michigan, where he explored the intersection of brand strategy and social change.

Micheline Kennedy

Senior Vice President & Managing Director / Issue Communications / Global Health / Social Justice

Micheline has 25 years of experience in strategic communications, advocacy and event planning for campaigns around the world that have elevated global health issues and influenced progress and policies on behalf of women and children. She is a leader in the global reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) field and is responsible for a diverse portfolio of clients at GMMB, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of America, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition and the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health.

Prior to joining GMMB, she spent 15 years in nonprofit communications, working on global population, health and development issues, creating awareness about learning disabilities and advancing women’s reproductive health and rights in the U.S.

Natalie Weilandt

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Corporate Social Impact

Natalie provides account and communications support through research, writing and project coordination for many of GMMB’s nonprofit and trade association clients. Since joining the firm in January 2017, Natalie has helped develop and execute successful communications efforts, advertising campaigns, creative materials development and community outreach for clients including American Beverage Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Prior to joining GMMB, Natalie spent a year in Turkey teaching English literature and pursuing research as a Fulbright grantee.

Julie Green Bataille

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / US Healthcare

Julie is a seasoned communications professional whose 25 years of experience spans political campaigns, Capitol Hill, the White House and federal agencies. With expertise in crisis communications, brand and reputation management, marketing and digital outreach, she crafts communications strategies that deliver impact and results. She has a particular passion for addressing social policy issues that improve the lives of children and families, especially health care and education.

At GMMB, she advises clients on implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the evolving health care system. She leads consumer campaigns and projects related to patient access and affordability, delivery system reform and drug pricing.

Prior to joining GMMB, Julie served in the Obama administration as the Communications Director for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, where she oversaw communications, outreach and education for the launch of HealthCare.gov and its historic first open enrollment period. Julie drives change by distilling complex policy into efforts that help clients navigate implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the evolving health care system.

John Rimel

Senior Vice President / Political Campaigns / Environment

John is the indispensable center of our efforts to help Democrats across the country win tough races. As a top-flight strategist, John has honed prodigious political, ad-making and management skills working for a broad cross-section of GMMB’s clients, from Senator Webb to Senator Boxer to President Obama, as well as environmental, labor, and health care organizations.

Alexandra Rodriguez

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications / Education

Alexandra provides account management and communications support through research, writing, and project coordination for many of GMMB’s nonprofit, trade association, and corporate clients, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and United Technologies Corporation. Alexandra brings a strong understanding of social media marketing and brand development skills. She is bilingual in Spanish and English, and has experience marketing to Hispanic/Latinx audiences.

Prior to GMMB, Alexandra led grassroots social media campaigns as an intern at TasteBud. She also interned for WRUF-FM.

Dana Cronyn

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Dana is an impact-driven storyteller, with experience in both the political and nonprofit sectors. As a member of the issues communications team, she develops behavior-change campaigns and messaging strategies for government clients to drive consumers to action.

Before joining GMMB, Dana was a Teach For America corps member in Charlotte, NC. She went on to lead TFA’s millennial communications and public relations strategies. Dana has also worked on Capitol Hill, where she developed and implemented digital media campaigns for progressive candidates.

Madalene Milano

Partner / Corporate Social Impact / Issue Communications

Madalene Milano brings more than 28 years of experience in managing, developing and implementing results-driven communications, including media relations, advertising, social marketing, partnership building and brand management. Since joining GMMB in 1994, Madalene has partnered with a range of clients—from nonprofits to leading industries—bringing her brand of research-driven common sense solutions to solve significant challenges.

Madalene is one of the nation’s most accomplished practitioners of public health and public safety campaigns. Her expertise in advocacy, campaign management and advertising has helped change laws across the country, increasing tobacco taxes to fund prevention programs and passing smoke-free air laws. Her innovative thinking helped create the new social norm of putting kids in the back seats of cars, raise seat belt use to an all-time high and made it harder for intoxicated drivers to get behind the wheel.

Diego Rosette

Assistant Account Executive

Diego is an assistant account executive whose work drives action on a range of public policy issues including energy, the environment, automotive safety and technology. At GMMB, he provides comprehensive account and communications support to his team and clients, which include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, ClimateWorks Foundation, and Energy Foundation.

Prior to joining GMMB, Diego interned at SKDKnickerbocker, Univision Communications Inc., the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Obama Campaign in 2012.

Dylan Tyne

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications

Dylan is a skilled story teller. Whether it’s through video, social media or public relations campaigns, Dylan excels at and is passionate about finding creative, often humorous ways to get a message across and create meaningful behavior change resulting in a safer, healthier world. He currently supports GMMB’s work for LOR Foundation and Handshake.

Prior to joining GMMB, Dylan produced award-winning work for clients such as the CDC, Washington State Department of Transportation, Group Health (now Kaiser Permanente), King County and Seattle Department of Transportation. After, he went to teach English and travel in Central America and Mexico.

Oliver Griswold

Vice President / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications

Oliver has spent more than 15 years guiding corporate, nonprofit, trade association and startup clients to increasing engagements with their most important audiences. A leader in GMMB’s brand group, Oliver creates new ways of deepening affinity and elevating experience through mission-driven brand platforms, attitude-adjusting advertising and innovative integrated campaigns.

Oliver’s work has consistently sharpened the voices of clients like the Nature Conservancy, Consumer Reports, Oxfam and the Auto Care Association. Drawing on a product marketing and political background that honed his instincts for what compels consumers to change, Oliver has recently built successful new brand identities for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, MyChange, Conservation International, College of the Holy Cross and KaBOOM!

Katie Stevenson

Vice President / Brand Positioning / Corporate Social Impact / Issue Communications / Public Health

Katie has spent more than 11 years building strategic and creative communications campaigns, specializing in brand positioning, message development, advertising and digital strategy. Currently, Katie serves as project lead for advertising, research and digital strategies for United Technologies Corporation and ATEC, a joint venture of Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney. Her past experience at GMMB includes strategic and project management of policy, education and brand positioning campaigns for nonprofit, foundation, association and political clients.

Previously, Katie was the director of brand strategy for a nonprofit dedicated to the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking. She managed the organization’s award-winning re-branding and name change from The Century Council to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility in 2014. Prior to that, Katie was a managing account supervisor in Ketchum’s brand management practice, where she developed and implemented creative public relations initiatives to support Dr Pepper Snapple Group and its brands.

Ariel Durgana

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Education

Ariel brings a diverse background in K-12 and higher education, strategic communications, non-profit management, and cause consulting to GMMB. From social media campaigns to community engagement strategies, Ariel employs communication as a powerful tool for social change and pursues her passion for advocacy and community development in all areas of her work. Her clients include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ashoka.

Prior to joining GMMB, Ariel served as a communications consultant specializing in corporate culture, volunteerism in the workplace, and business transformation at Gagen MacDonald in Chicago. In addition to her corporate work, Ariel brings an array of experience from her AmeriCorps service teaching in Chicago Public Schools, consulting for charitable foundations within the NFL and MLB, and serving as a mentor and advisor in the student engagement center of Georgetown University and the community learning center of the University of Notre Dame.

Ellen Frawley

Partner / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Ellen is the leader you want around when the challenge is big and the timing tight. A veteran strategist with more than 25 years working on issues and causes across sectors—from startups to NGOs—she brings a powerful blend of possibility and pragmatism that guides clients and teams toward new solutions and measurable success.

Ellen designs and manages large-scale national communications efforts, including media and partnership strategies, message and creative development, and advanced audience targeting. She led the GMMB team that created and launched the Women’s Heart Alliance and the award-winning Fight the Ladykiller campaign, which employs new strategies to combat women’s heart disease.

Whether engaging more Americans in volunteering or assisting military families to become better financially prepared, Ellen is committed to advancing positive change in people’s lives. Outside of GMMB, Ellen serves on the national board of directors of Friends of the Children, a unique mentoring program serving our most vulnerable children from kindergarten through high school.

Victoria Fosdal

Account Supervisor / Issue Communications / Education

Victoria joined GMMB as an account executive, combining her background in K-12 education and strategic communications. Her clients include the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Collaborative for Student Success and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Prior to joining GMMB, Victoria was a Teach for America Corp Member. She taught high school English as a Second Language, English Language Arts, and served as the Limited English Proficient Chairperson for her school in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has consulted with large and small educational organizations, such as TEACH Charlotte, Achievement First and The Walking Classroom.

Outside of GMMB, Victoria is the Professional Development Chair for Young Education Professionals – D.C. and serves as a communications adviser to Women LEAD Nepal.

Jaime Zapata

Partner / Corporate Social Impact / Issue Communications / Political Campaigns / Education / Social Justice

Whether it’s casting a video to engage Mexican-American audiences in southern California or developing content that conveys complex information to D.C. opinion leaders, Jaime always aims for exact. A multi-talented communications guru with expertise in areas as diverse as labor, small business, aerospace and education, Jaime combines the grit of a Bronx-raised Colombian road cyclist with the savvy and eloquence of a Georgetown-trained Washingtonian.

Jaime began his career on Capitol Hill and has more than 20 years of policy and communications experience. He thrives on finding untapped opportunities, dives deep into issue areas, helps clients see around corners, and ensures every strategy is designed and implemented correctly from the start.

Jaime has managed major advertising and positioning accounts for corporations that include United Technologies, Sikorsky Aircraft, Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney. He is on the board of Operation Homefront and leads GMMB teams for a broad spectrum of nonprofit clients including Scholarship America, the National Council of La Raza, the Opportunity Finance Network, and the Council of the Great City Schools. He is also an advisor on teams for the American Beverage Association, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AFSCME and a host of political clients.

Chantal Wong

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications / Public Health

Chantal brings experience working in social media marketing and project management to GMMB’s clients. Currently, she supports GMMB’s public health, global health, and education clients, which include Alive & Thrive, Gates Program Related Investments and the LOR Foundation. Chantal’s background is in management, social media, and content development.

Traci Siegel

Senior Vice President & Managing Director / Issue Communications / Corporate Social Impact / Global Health

Traci is among GMMB’s leading experts in global health and corporate social responsibility, helping companies, foundations and international NGOs hone their strategy, refine their message and amplify their impact. Since joining GMMB in 2006, Traci has leveraged two decades of political and issue advocacy expertise to help clients like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; and PATH achieve impact in more than 20 countries. Traci is also a sought-after media trainer, with experience providing media and messaging coaching to clients ranging from corporate CEOs to members of royalty. In her spare time, Traci volunteers on medical and disaster relief efforts in the developing world.

Ashley Middleton

Vice President / Issue Communications / Public Health

Ashley helps her clients tell compelling stories across a variety of platforms, including web and social media, media materials, video production, meetings, and events. By researching and understanding clients’ priorities, Ashley builds a strong foundation for strategy and message development, which she supports with ongoing and thoughtful analysis of project outcomes. She enjoys the challenge of distilling complex topics into clear talking points and working with diverse coalitions to ensure that all needs are met.

Ashley cares deeply for her clients and causes—from education and public safety to global health and the environment. Whether she is working with the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety on technology that can prevent drunk driving, helping businesses and parents get more involved in public education, or building the advocacy skills of public libraries throughout the world, she is a committed, creative, and enthusiastic leader.

Kelsey Howe

Account Executive / Issue Communications

Kelsey works with an array of clients representing important education, transportation and healthcare issues such as the Hewlett Foundation, the Institute of International Education, The Globe Program, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and the American Public Transportation Association. She supports campaign and brand development through research, analytics, project management, and copywriting.

Prior to joining GMMB, Kelsey interned at Political Research Associates, a progressive Boston-based think tank, and worked at the Tufts European Center.

Susie Rantz

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Digital / Education / Public Health

Susie provides counsel on digital and strategic communications for clients working to ensure all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. From digital engagement and media outreach to branding and website design, Susie creates smart, customized communications strategies that help clients reach teachers, parents, opinion leaders and legislators.

Susie serves as account lead for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Pacific Northwest program, which creates opportunities for all children in Washington state to thrive in stable families, great schools and strong communities. She also provides digital counsel, project management and messaging support to the Gates Foundation’s United States Program.

Outside of work, Susie volunteers with GeekGirlCon, a nonprofit that promotes the contributions of women in STEM fields, arts and literature, and game design.

Sandy Won

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / US Healthcare

Sandy brings more than 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in strategic communications planning, message development, advocacy, web and social media strategy, marketing and branding.

At GMMB, Sandy specializes in health coverage, working with organizations, foundations and government agencies. She leads work for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Connecting Kids to Coverage Campaign, a national effort to enroll eligible families into Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. She also provides strategic counsel and manages health coverage initiatives for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Prior to GMMB, Sandy directed strategic communications for the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), a global development institute focused on ending global poverty among women and girls. Previously, she worked for the Alliance for Retired Americans, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, where she helped position the organization’s communications and advocacy efforts around Medicare and Social Security. She also worked for the Children’s Defense Fund, managing communications activities to support the group’s policy advocacy and outreach to grassroots organizations.

Katie Schofield

Vice President / Issue Communications / Education

Katie brings nearly 15 years of experience in communications strategy to a diverse portfolio of clients focused on food security and nutrition support, volunteer service, and children’s and women’s health.

Katie helped develop the Think Babies^TM campaign on behalf of ZERO TO THREE to bring national attention to what babies and their families need to thrive, and currently works with grantees to implement the campaign at the state level. She manages stakeholder outreach for a new safety net education campaign on behalf of Missouri Foundation for Health. Katie also provides strategic counsel to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)—including message development, content creation, earned, paid and digital media strategy and evaluation—to demonstrate the agency’s impact on communities and those who serve.

Recently, Katie worked with the Food Research and Action Center to provide technical assistance to states to implement research-based messages related to food insecurity and the food assistance programs. Katie previously served as the account lead for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) national media campaign to raise awareness and educate eligible individuals, families and trusted messengers about nutrition assistance as a resource to help families struggling to make ends meet. Additional clients have included the Corporate Coalition to Fight Hunger, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Women’s Heart Alliance, and the FINRA Investor Education Campaign.

Katie also serves as a point person for incoming new business requests.

Joe Gladow

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Corporate Social Impact / Global Health

Joe Gladow is an account executive on GMMB’s Global Health & Development team, where he works with clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Joe’s work centers on creating powerful, fact-based narratives and staying abreast of the latest global trends to advance the health and safety of the world’s poor. He brings experience in international education and human rights, having spent two years in Spain teaching English and working with grassroots refugee initiatives. Previously, he worked in public policy and politics, including as a fellow at the Chicago Mayor’s Office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel and for the opinion research firm Davis, Hibbits & Midghall.

Alison Kruzel

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / US Healthcare

Alison is a communications strategist, campaign manager and partnership builder who revels in the challenge of distilling complex health issues into easy-to-understand concepts and messages. For more than a decade, Alison has worked with some of the nation’s leading foundations, non-profits, associations, and state agencies to help change behaviors and improve lives.

From her work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help states implement coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act and uncover motivations and barriers among the uninsured and newly enrolled, to her work with Missouri Foundation for Health to help communities increase access to healthy foods and physical activities to address childhood obesity, Alison provides strategic counsel to clients looking to increase access to healthcare and improve the health of our nation.

Ally Flaherty

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications

As part of GMMB’s healthcare team, Ally works with a variety of clients including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, Missouri Foundation for Health, Kaiser Permanente and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Ally has helped identify deep campaign insights for a range of health issues including advocating for lower prescription drug prices, increasing access to affordable health insurance and decreasing childhood obesity. For all these efforts, she employs strong research and storytelling skills to advance these causes.

Prior to joining GMMB, Ally worked in grassroots political advocacy domestically and for the Scottish Parliament during their 2014 independence referendum.

Megan Raymond

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Education

After two election cycles dedicated to GMMB’s political clients, Megan now brings her campaign experience to education and philanthropic clients. From message writing to quantitative research, Megan supports and develops effective campaigns and issue communications for foundations, nonprofits and advocacy groups. She has produced content for TV and digital media campaigns across the country, including Senate races, minimum wage campaigns, and voter registration ballot initiatives. Megan’s experience in the fast-paced world of political script writing, media planning, and video and digital production brings strategic experience to issue communications.

Frank Greer

Partner / Political Campaigns / Education

Over the course of his extraordinary career, Frank has helped elect U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, South African President Nelson Mandela, Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel, Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom, and President Horacio Cartes in Paraguay.

Frank provides strategic advice and counsel to some of the world’s leading foundations, public interest groups, labor organizations and corporations, as well as candidates running for Congress, governor and Senate.

Krista Reichel

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Krista is an experienced issue communications strategist who has brought her financial communications and brand development background to GMMB. Since her arrival, Krista has developed and executed strategic and creative communications efforts, with an eye for matching client objectives with metrics, including: digital media campaigns, multimedia messaging management, website development, and production of TV and radio ads. Krista has worked on behalf of clients ranging from government agencies to nonprofits and foundations, some of which include the Corporation for National and Community Service, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, ZERO TO THREE, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Nimra Haroon

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications

Nimra brings a multi-disciplined background in advertising, brand strategy, and nonprofit management to GMMB’s earned media team. Nimra applies her communications experience and passions for social justice to deliver top-notch account support and earned and social media success for her clients, which include Ibis Reproductive Health, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

Prior to joining GMMB, Nimra interned in the agency and nonprofit sectors, including NPR, Team One, The Black Sheep Agency, and Houston Arts Alliance, providing marketing, brand, and project management support to her clients. Nimra is committed to advancing gender and racial equity in the workspace and is an active member of ColorComm and the 4A’s MAIP Program to recruit, recognize, and sustain diverse talent in the communications industry.

Molly O’Brien

Vice President / Issue Communications / Global Health

Molly is an expert in communications strategy and event planning, with a keen understanding and appreciation of the details. In her 16-year tenure at GMMB, she has led projects across a wide range of domestic and global issues, including reproductive, maternal and newborn health, nutrition, genocide, education, and renewable energy. As a leader on GMMB’s global health and development team, she has developed and executed events and conferences in Ethiopia, Ghana, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Makala Forster

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Global Health / Public Health

Makala supports GMMB’s global and public health clients. Her previous experiences in the non-profit sector established a deep interest in social services and the power of community support.

Before starting at GMMB, Makala worked at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) of San Juan Islands as a Spanish language translator, developing educational materials for the community in both English and Spanish. During college, Makala was an Access Counselor for the Women’s Medical Fund of Philadelphia, PA, where she assisted women who were in search of funding for a safe abortion.

Ben Hawkins

Senior Vice President, Creative Director

Ben brings more than fifteen years of experience in social marketing, integrated advertising campaigns and branding. He’s a big idea generator, writer and leader of creative teams. His vivid imagination and shape shifting skills have been instrumental in expanding the firm’s capabilities, tackling new media and creating innovative ways to reach target audiences.

Ben is wired for causes and has put his creative firepower behind numerous campaigns for associations, foundations, nonprofits, government and corporations looking to strengthen their CSR efforts. He has produced effective and award-winning work for a range of clients, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Credit Union National Association, Consumers Union, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, L’Oreal, Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Department of Health, Novo Nordisk, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, UNICEF, USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the World Bank.

Prior to joining GMMB, Ben worked at McCann-Erickson, where he honed his copywriting skills and keen visual eye in the realm of product advertising. His clients included US Airways, National Breast Cancer Coalition, Points of Light Foundation and Marriott. He graduated from West Virginia University with honors, completing a triple major in English Literature, Spanish and Cultural Geography.

Annie Burns

Partner

Annie’s steadfast leadership, hands-on mentorship, and business savvy have established GMMB as an international leader in strategic communications. By cultivating an environment focused on excellence, collegiality, and respect, Annie has guided GMMB to achieve its reputation for exceptional client services and as a great place to work.

Currently, Annie oversees GMMB’s work to protect and advance high-quality, affordable health coverage for kids and families, working with child health advocates across the country and in partnership with Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families. She also manages a major digital and creative ad campaign for the American Dental Association.

She led GMMB’s work for nationally recognized anti-poverty organization CAP Tulsa and for Planned Parenthood’s research-based messaging on health coverage. She also works with JPMorgan Chase’s Office of Nonprofit Engagement and the Food Research Action Center.

Previously, Annie has directed the creation and implementation of communications campaigns for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Covering Kids and Families (CKF) Communications Campaign. CKF helped to enroll 11 million children in CHIP and Medicaid, and Annie’s strategy now serves as a model in strategic communications textbooks.

At crucial stages in the firm’s growth, she has expanded capabilities, scope and impact. Known affectionately as “the B” in GMMB, Annie Burns sets the standard for leadership, mentorship, and business savvy in progressive communications.

Jodi Quintero

Vice President / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Jodi has worked on the frontlines of political and policy communications for the past 15 years on behalf of state government officials, political candidates, the U.S. government, and high-profile corporate clients. At GMMB, she manages national and state paid media campaigns for AARP’s advocacy efforts focused on Social Security, fraud, caregiving, and others. Jodi joins GMMB as a veteran communicator on domestic state and federal legislative issues with an emphasis on health care and education.

Will Taliaferro

Partner / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

With nearly 30 years of experience in strategic communications, Will leads innovative programs and positioning campaigns for organizations looking to strengthen their identities, increase their profiles and improve the public good. From branding initiatives to public health and corporate reputation campaigns, he brings in-depth experience in strategic planning, creative development and traditional and digital marketing approaches that work together to spur support, foster engagement and create lasting change.

While his work has helped effect tangible changes in many areas, he has particular expertise in transportation, health care and telecommunications. His skills and experience cross many disciplines: advertising, creative development, media relations, grassroots mobilization and digital and social media. Will’s present and past clients include the American Public Transportation Association, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, USTelecom, National Safety Council, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Chrysler and the Society for Human Resource Management.

In addition to his strategic communications work, Will also co-directs GMMB’s Creative Content Group, helping clients craft advertising, video and digital assets that are smart, creative and drive real impact.

Kristen Handley

Vice President / Issue Communications / Brand Positioning

Kristen has spent more than eight years designing and implementing award-winning, purpose-driven communications. At GMMB, Kristen leads the communications strategy and implementation for United Technologies Corporation, Pratt & Whitney, and the Advanced Turbine Engine Company, blending her background in international relations, economics, and communications. Before joining GMMB, Kristen led communications initiatives at the Department of Defense, the Air Force Medical Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of State.

Matt James

Senior Counselor / Corporate Social Impact / Issue Communications / Environment / Public Health

When GMMB opened a San Francisco Bay Area practice, we turned to Matt to join our team. Matt has long been a non-profit and philanthropic leader, and is recognized as an innovator in communications initiatives for social good, both in the Bay Area and nationally. Matt’s award-winning contributions extend to strategic communications and campaigns in health, climate change and early childhood development. He most recently was a visiting scholar at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where he worked to increase funding on health and climate change. Matt was co-founder and president of Next Generation and spent many years at the Kaiser Family Foundation, where he was a principal architect of Kaiser Health News and oversaw the Foundation’s media and public education work. He began his career in politics, serving as a key aide to Congressman Mo Udall as well as Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Dale Bumpers. Passionate about public health, Matt currently serves on the board of the CDC Foundation, as well as advisory committees for the National Wildlife Federation and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.

Alyson McColl

Senior Vice President & Managing Director / Issue Communications / Global Health

A senior leader of GMMB’s global health practice, Alyson has 20 years of experience in strategic communications, issue-based advocacy and social marketing, with expertise in strategy development and campaign management. A strategic, forward-thinking consultant, Alyson has executed advocacy and communications campaigns on a broad range of issues including the environment, health and public safety, and global health and development.

Alyson tackles large-scale initiatives that are ambitious in scope, particularly in the areas of maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition and malaria. Whether successfully advocating for longer paid maternity leave in Viet Nam or elevating the issue of early child nutrition on the global agenda, Alyson creates on point, evidence-based strategies that connect the dots between what motivates opinion leaders to act and the positive change we seek to achieve.

Yesenia Garcia

Account Supervisor / Issue Communications / Global Health

Yesenia joined GMMB with deep roots in the global health and development community and a strong background in nutrition and food security. She works with clients to elevate their issue on the global agenda. Whether developing an op-ed for a high-level champion or implementing a country-level advocacy plan, Yesenia understands how to move the needle on important issues.

Having worked in the nonprofit-sector for nearly a decade, Yesenia appreciates the needs of our clients and the importance of delivering results. She has leant her experience in advocacy and communications to a range of clients, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Alive & Thrive, and Helen Keller International.

Lance Greenberg

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Political Campaigns

Lance sits at the intersection of issue communications and politics—working on advocacy campaigns and elections nationwide and finding innovative ways to make an impact by fighting for health care, financial security, and voter participation.

At GMMB, he supports media strategy and advertising production for a range of public awareness campaigns as well as U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races, foundations, ballot initiatives, trade associations and more. Lance has supported clients including the Democratic Governors Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, AT&T and VoteVets.

Prior to joining GMMB Lance worked for a public affairs firm in his hometown of Chicago, and interned at the U.N. Human Rights Council, and the International Emission Trading Association.

Sarah Whitworth

Vice President / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications

Sarah brings a strong background in marketing and advertising communications and brand strategy to GMMB. Since joining GMMB in 2012, Sarah has worked on a range of brand management, health care and education issues, including overseeing communications and brand strategy for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association; brand management and strategic counsel for the American Public Transportation Association; and ongoing work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Prior to joining GMMB, Sarah worked for advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, where she managed the development of integrated digital, TV, print and radio campaigns for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola Co. and American Express to nonprofits like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Nathan James

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Education

Nathan is an experienced strategist who helps clients communicate complex policy issues and build support for change. At GMMB, his focus is on early childhood and K-12 education. He works with foundations, public agencies and advocates dedicated to expanding opportunity for all students. From branding to speechwriting, he helps develop and execute integrated communications campaigns for clients including the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, Too Small to Fail and the LOR Foundation.

Prior to joining GMMB, Nathan served as a communications consultant and spokesperson for nonprofits, political candidates and issue advocacy campaigns. He serves on the board of the United Way of King County and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center.

Isha McLennan

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications / Public Health / US Healthcare

Isha brings strong organizational, writing, research and communications skills to GMMB’s health coverage team. She provides account support for clients including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ZERO TO THREE, and L’Oréal USA.

Prior to joining GMMB, Isha worked for the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce in the communications department where she supported several policy and advocacy initiatives.

Chelsea Hawkins

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications

Chelsea works with our public health team to develop and execute strategic campaigns that amplify impact by bringing together traditional and digital communications. She’s passionate about storytelling and helping her clients find the most effective ways to share their messages. Chelsea comes to GMMB with extensive media experience – daily newspapers, digital news sites, radio, and magazines – and a deep passion for social justice and racial equity. Prior to joining GMMB, Chelsea worked at Pyramid Communications with a focus on philanthropy, health, and issues affecting indigenous communities.

Amber Barnes

Account Executive / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications

Amber works to make sure the trains are running on time for her team and clients. She utilizes her strong research, writing, and organizational skills to support a range of branding, public education, and earned media campaign for clients including the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, American Dental Association, the Performance Warehouse Association and American University Washington College of Law.

Prior to joining GMMB, Amber worked as a Campus Campaign Coordinator for Teach for America, where she handled the organization’s recruitment and marketing efforts. In this role, she was able to develop a variety of skills that inform her work today including market research and landscape analysis, social media strategy, and creative content and message development.

Susan Feeney

Partner / Issue Communications / Education

Susan co-leads our Seattle office, overseeing an innovative team that supports a diverse roster of national, Bay Area and global clients. Her primary focus is on strategic communications and advocacy around education here and abroad, edtech, public policy, public health and enhancing the quality of life in the Intermountain West.

Key clients include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, LOR Foundation, Omidyar Network, National Academy Foundation (NAF), IIE (Institute of International Education), the startup Handshake, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Susan is a storyteller, writer and expert in public positioning, advocacy, leveraging digital content, media relations and public speaking training. She joined GMMB in 2009 after an award-winning career in journalism that included nearly a decade as senior editor of NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition, and many years covering the White House and national politics.

Steven Rigaux

Account Executive / Issue Communications

Steven brings an extensive background in writing and placing top news stories for GMMB clients. His clients include the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Steven also worked with the Opportunity Finance Network to help launch an easy-to-use online platform called Venturize, where minority small business owners can go to access the straightforward information they need to compare safe financing options.

Prior to joining the team, Steven served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, teaching English in Micronesia.

Christopher Shannon

Lead Creative Technologist

Christopher is at the intersection of digital, media, and creative. He helps concept and create digital media and strategy for a wide range of GMMB clients, including the American Beverage Association’s Mixify Campaign, L’Oreal for Woman in Science, IWMF’s Reporta App, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AARP, Facebook, and others. Having worked in the U.S., Europe, and South East Asia, his 15 years of experience informs his role of strategic counsel and producer on creative and digital strategy for organic, paid, and multimedia campaigns across the agency.

Allie McKay

Vice President / Issue Communications / Education

Allie brings a strong background in strategic communications, digital media, project management, and research and analysis to GMMB’s education clients. Whether it’s designing a multimedia campaign to drive support for high standards or executing tactics to elevate personalized learning, Allie relishes telling compelling stories that can lead to better outcomes for students.

Prior to joining GMMB, Allie directed education and advocacy projects at KSA-Plus Communications and created professional development resources for educators around the world at the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Kerry-Ann Hamilton

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Brand Positioning / Education

Kerry-Ann brings more than 12 years of journalism, integrated marketing and public relations experience to GMMB. She provides strategic communications counsel and tactical support, including media relations, spokesperson trainings, branding and issues management for the firm’s education and global health clients, namely, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Lancet, PATH and Evidence Action.

Prior to GMMB, Kerry-Ann spent a decade in higher education where she led teams responsible for media relations, publications, internal communications, digital media and crisis management. She was a correspondent for the Associated Press in Trinidad and Tobago and began her career at the U.S. Agency for International Development advancing public-private partnerships. She has conducted research, provided communication counsel and on-the-ground support for several international projects in Kenya, Haiti, Romania, Turkey, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia.

Jennifer Kohl

Vice President & Earned Media Director

Specializing in media relations, crisis communications and message development, Jen uses creative earned media strategies to get our clients in the news—or to keep them out of it, depending on the situation. After spending more than a decade in political communications on the campaign trail and Capitol Hill, she brings an innovative approach to issue campaigns for clients by applying the same basic principles that led The Washington Post to recognize her as one of DC’s top 25 media strategists.

From landing interviews for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law’s spokespeople with top media seeking expert analysis of the milestone Supreme Court voting rights cases to blanketing the airwaves and papers around the country for the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, Jen’s media strategies have secured stories for our clients on NBC’s Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, AP, Huffington Post and Bloomberg News, as well as on and local print, radio and broadcast outlets across the country. When she’s not killing it in the media, she also provides strategic counsel on GMMB’s public affairs work.

Jordan Treible

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Global Health

Jordan brings traditional and social media, communications strategy and writing experience to GMMB’s Global Health team. With a background in U.S. and international policy communications, Jordan has expertise in distilling core messages from data-heavy research and in developing and placing content in top media outlets. Her current clients include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative and other leading global health and development organizations.

Natasha del Amo

Assistant Account Executive / Political Campaigns / Issue Communications

Bringing experience in both statewide and national political campaigns, Natasha supports GMMB’s political clients. Before joining GMMB, Natasha worked for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the Democratic National Campaign Committee, the Tom Wolf for Governor of Pennsylvania campaign, and the Clinton Foundation.

Natasha is passionate about reproductive rights for women, affordable and accessible health care, and climate change.

Mikaela Ferrill

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Global Health

Mikaela provides account and communications support for a variety of clients in the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health space. Mikaela has helped execute successful rebranding initiatives of multiple global nonprofit organizations, develop an advocacy toolkit to expand access to reproductive health supplies, and assisted in the coordination of several global launches of scientific research publications that serve as the evidence base for policy and program design.

Mikaela has collaborated with many of GMMB’s clients, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, Concept Foundation, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, among others.

Jeffrey Matthews

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Global Health

Jeff brings strategy and writing expertise to GMMB’s global health clients working to tackle today’s toughest challenges. Whether translating the latest maternal and child health research into action, developing strategy to advocate for investments in vaccines, or raising awareness for developing better data, Jeff brings a deep understanding of the issues and a skill for communicating them clearly.

Jeff holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and has more than six years of diverse experience across global health research, program management, advocacy and communications. He has managed several projects in the U.S. and abroad and has previously lived and worked in Southern Africa and South-East Asia.

Samara Yudof Jones

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Education

Samara brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications, national earned media strategies and implementation, crisis communications, public relations and education policy. She works with a variety of education clients, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Get Schooled Foundation, providing strategic and advocacy communications and media expertise. Samara enjoys working across a number of topics, including effective teaching, public charter schools, Common Core State Standards, teacher collaboration, student and parent tools, personalizing learning and education technology.

Prior to joining GMMB, Samara worked for seven years at the U.S. Department of Education, most recently serving as press secretary to Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. In this role, Samara was the primary on-the-record spokesperson for the Secretary and all matters involving the Department, including K-12, higher education and other issues that had national policy and political implications and drew daily attention from national, trade and regional media outlets. She also served at USA Freedom Corps at the White House, leveraging communications and outreach strategies to encourage an increased culture of volunteer service among Americans.

Samara sits on the boards of Harmony DC Public Charter School and the DC alumni chapter of her alma mater, Southern Methodist University.

Michelle Austin

Senior Vice President / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications / Education

Michelle digs in and dives deep on complex issues and campaigns. With more than 15 years of experience, she revels in working on behalf of clients that tap into her inner education wonk, passion for storytelling and appreciation of smart strategy. She supported the move to consistent academic standards and improved assessments and created brand identities and suites of materials for a range of clients. Michelle is proud to have worked on behalf the Council of Chief State School Officers, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, National Council of La Raza, College of the Holy Cross, Teach For America and others.

Before joining GMMB, Michelle provided public and government relations services for nonprofit education and social policy organizations with a strong emphasis in secondary education. Michelle has her roots in New Mexico, where she grew up and worked for former Senator Jeff Bingaman.

Angela Landers

Vice President / Issue Communications / Education / Public Health / US Healthcare

Angela joined GMMB in 2010, bringing a strong background in strategic communications, coalition-building, issue management, earned and digital media, as well as federal agency and Capitol Hill experience. Currently, she works with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and several state-wide health and education foundations and nonprofits. She has lent her expertise to GMMB clients on a range of issues, including childhood obesity, consumer health products, pharmaceuticals, early learning, and K-12 education.

Prior to GMMB, Angela worked as communications director in the U.S. House of Representatives, and served as a special assistant and communication liaison to U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at the U.S. Department of Education. Angela is fluent in Spanish.

Melissa Morales

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Corporate Social Impact

From managing advertising campaigns in support of health reform to overseeing outreach and education efforts to enroll Americans in health coverage, Melissa is on the front lines of the Affordable Care Act’s implementation. She worked with Vermont and Washington State to introduce their marketplaces and enroll residents, with AARP to educate consumers about the ACA and Medicare, and with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to educate families about low-cost health insurance options available for their children.

Melissa currently leads GMMB’s work with Missouri Foundation for Health to address childhood obesity. In addition to health coverage projects, Melissa brings her media buying experience to integrated advertising campaigns, most recently managing a campaign to bring the story of the AT&T Aspire education initiative to life.

Jen Farber

Vice President / Issue Communications / Global Health

Jen is a senior global health strategist. With nearly 15 years of communications experience, she leads integrated campaigns addressing some of the most pressing global health issues. Jen has successfully managed projects ranging from wide-reaching campaigns to improve maternal, newborn and child survival to more focused efforts on malaria and vaccine-preventable diseases like pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhea. She has also led initiatives around safe water and sanitation, the health care supply chain and health data.

Through her work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Rotavirus Organization of Technical Advisors (ROTA) Council; PATH and university-affiliated institutes, Jen leads strategic planning and creates compelling content that generates buzz, earns media coverage and reaches the right people at the right time, getting results in the U.S. and around the world. Having contributed to pivotal series launches for The Lancet, she excels at translating scientific data into easy-to-understand, actionable content. Jen also brings a political campaign mindset to all of her projects, having worked on U.S. presidential and statewide races before joining GMMB’s Global Health team.

Janet Goss

Partner / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications / Social Justice

Janet specializes in helping nonprofits raise their profiles through branding and reputation management. She offers sharp insights and wisdom to help organizations successfully navigate change. Both qualities make her a natural leader of GMMB’s brand group and an adept counselor for her clients’ challenges. For 20 years, she’s brought an audience-centric approach to communications, helping clients like AFSCME, the College of the Holy Cross and the American Heart Association make stronger connections with the people that matter to them. The result: communications work that isn’t simply adopted, but embraced.

Janet forges deep and lasting relationships with her clients because she cares as much as they do about issues like education, health and social justice. She provides expert counsel on message development, paid and earned media outreach and online engagement strategies. An expert in designing a communications matched for each client’s specific need, she’s worked with leading trade associations like the Auto Care Association and national nonprofits like the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. Janet’s distinctive imprint transforms her clients’ communications strategies, making them ever smarter, more human and more relevant.

Sarah Green

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Sarah brings more than 15 years of experience working on a range of causes and issues from health and safety to consumer protection. Sarah has an unmatched ability to quickly understand an issue or cause, lead a team to uncover answers to the tough questions and then drive toward impactful solutions. She has created dozens of successful campaigns reaching a wide range of audiences—including connecting low-income parents to workforce training programs in the healthcare industry, helping military spouses find portable careers, and reaching homeowners about the vital importance of flood insurance in protecting their livelihoods and largest investment.

Her expertise includes qualitative and quantitative research; development of positioning platforms; messaging and target audience strategies; branding; advertising development; media planning; and analysis of campaign effectiveness.

Siobhan McCready Bunaes

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Public Health

For more than 25 years, Siobhan has been helping realize cause campaigns. Her expertise has been critical on national campaigns devoted to child safety, women’s heart disease, eye health, systems biology and health insurance coverage for children and low-income families. Most recently, she worked with the Women’s Heart Alliance to launch a national campaign called Fight the Ladykiller to raise awareness of heart disease—the number one killer of women.

Prior to GMMB, she led marketing and communications at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, where she launched EyeSmart, an eye health campaign.

Scott Stroup

Vice President / Issue Communications / Public Health / Public Health

Scott provides strategic communications support to a range of public health, global health, and education clients. His work spans advertising and media buying, social media, grassroots engagement, partnership outreach, and messaging and materials support. He supports the Washington State Department of Health’s Marijuana Education and Prevention Program, helping to design and implement a statewide campaign to educate teens and their parents about the risks of using marijuana. Scott also supports the Washington Health Benefit Exchange to educate residents about the health plans available to them, as well as the Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.

Melissa Simpson

Senior Vice President & Managing Director / Issue Communications / Public Health

Melissa specializes in public health and health care communications, developing integrated campaigns that include advertising, public relations, social media, grassroots outreach and innovative partnerships to reach people at the right time with the right message. Her mission is to reduce complexity and provide health information in emotionally compelling and actionable ways. She worked with the Washington State Department of Health, Group Health Foundation and WithinReach to prevent the spread of HPV and pertussis, reduce tobacco use among youth and adults and encourage parents to talk with their kids about the risks of using marijuana.

Melissa is passionate about increasing access to health care. Through her work with the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, she designed innovative outreach strategies that helped connect more than one million people in the state with health insurance—many for the first time.

Kaia Lenhart

Partner / Issue Communications / Global Health / Social Justice

Kaia is an expert in comprehensive communications and advocacy strategies who leads the firm’s global health and development portfolio, focusing on maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition and disease prevention.

She has managed in-country issue campaigns with local governments and partners, and developed U.S. and international media and advocacy strategies for some of the world’s most high-profile clients. Kaia’s secret sauce — individually designed campaigns that are culturally fluent and combine wide-ranging tactics to engage decision-makers, raise awareness and visibility, and move policy forward.

Kaia has directed award-winning issue and brand campaigns to advance causes ranging from reproductive health to maternal and child nutrition in countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Israel and Viet Nam. She serves as senior strategic advisor to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, Johns Hopkins University, the World Bank, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, among others.

Patricia Clemente

Account Executive / Issue Communications / Education

Patty provides account management and communications support for a host of education, corporate, and government clients, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, StandardsWork, Be a Learning Hero, United Technologies Corporation, and FEMA. She specializes in digital marketing campaigns with precise audience targeting. Bilingual in Spanish and English, Patty contributes insight and content across campaigns and platforms to ensure audience reach.

In her previous role supporting GMMB’s production team, she served as a lead radio producer and production coordinator for political clients during 2016 including Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Governors Association, Senator Ron Wyden, and the League of Conservation Voters.

Brandon Lee

Account Supervisor / Issue Communications

Since joining GMMB in 2011, Brandon has worked with a number of nonprofit, government, and corporate clients to give a voice to their causes—identifying audiences and moving them to action. Between drafting remarks, developing communications plans, brand planning, and crafting strategic messaging, Brandon provides communications solutions at every level. He works with clients to identify their unique voice, crafting and amplifying effective messaging in speeches, op-eds, blog posts, social media, and internal communications.

Prior to joining GMMB, Brandon provided communications support for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and a U.S. congressional campaign for Washington State Representative Suzan DelBene.

Abebe Kebede

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Abebe joined GMMB to bring his integrated communications expertise to multi-faceted advertising campaigns. He brings a deep understanding of the issues facing his clients – ranging from government agencies to nonprofits and foundations – and works with clients to match their objectives with metrics.

Abebe has won numerous awards including a PRSA Bronze Anvil, PRSA Best in Maryland, and a National Association of Government Communicators Gold Screen Award.

Abebe’s deep passion around advocating for mental health issues has brought him to volunteer for a local DC nonprofit called Strength In Our Voices, which aims to eliminate the stigma around mental health.

Megan Sather

Senior Vice President, Managing Director / Issue Communications / Education / Social Justice

Megan works with a diverse array of organizations that share a common goal: improving conditions for people living in poverty. She takes on some of the toughest local and global challenges, leading campaigns on advancing scientific breakthroughs, increasing access to health technologies, improving education outcomes, and reducing family homelessness.

A seasoned strategist, Megan’s career spans more than two decades in electoral politics, communications, and advocacy. On behalf of leaders in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, Megan has designed strategies to change attitudes, inspire action, and shape public policy. Her clients have included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, The Lancet, the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth, and the Washington State Charter Schools Association.

Emma Burgoon

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy

Emma works with an array of clients in transportation, government, and consumer safety sectors. She supports issue communications campaigns in research, writing, and account management. Prior to joining GMMB, Emma worked in social policy and education research at several organizations, including Hanover Research, the University of Chicago Crime Lab, and the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics.

Brianne Johnson

Account Executive / Brand Positioning / Issue Communications

Brianne has always had a fascination with storytelling – and as a member of the GMMB branding team, she helps tell stories that matter. Through her strong analysis, writing and research skills, she has crafted messaging that has inspired public library leaders; influential writing that advocated for safe medicine storage; and ensured that every one of her clients’ deliverables is on time and on budget. Brianne’s current and past clients include the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Educational Foundation, PATH, Chemonics International, the Micronutrient Initiative, Catholic Relief Services, Cipla BioTec and the Public Library Association.

Brianne comes to GMMB by way of Morning Consult, where she assisted the media and polling start-ups’ communications and business development practices.

Jenny Selzer

Vice President / Issue Communications / Consumer Advocacy / US Healthcare

Jenny is a lifelong lover of language and deeply believes in the power of words to change the world. She lives for a well-timed one-liner or perfectly pithy emotional detail, finding that often humor and empathy can help draw an audience into even the most complicated or intimidating policy issue. Jenny specializes in rapid response advertising campaigns and using paid media to achieve advocacy and legislative goals. She has led strategy and ad development for GMMB’s AARP state advocacy work since 2011. She has helped AARP pass legislation beneficial to seniors and their families on a broad array of issues including cost of utilities, retirement savings, and family caregiving. Jenny has also been integral to the development and production of AARP’s federal advocacy campaigns on Social Security, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, fraud prevention, and family caregiving, which have won Addy and Pollie awards for television and online ads.   Before joining GMMB, Jenny worked for frontline Democratic members of Congress providing policy, communications, and strategic counsel. Jenny is a proud graduate of Northwestern University and lives in Washington DC with her husband, Juan, and opinionated toddler, Diego.

AJ Lenar

Senior Vice President / Political Campaigns / Environment

AJ has developed strategies and award-winning advertising for leading environmental organizations, major foundations and labor unions, as well as mayoral, House, Senate, gubernatorial and presidential races in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, AJ led GMMB’s work on behalf of Charlie Crist’s successful campaign for Congress as well as a ballot initiative campaign in Washington that raised the minimum wage statewide. AJ leads the firm’s work for VoteVets, one of America’s top veteran’s advocacy groups. His ads have been featured in Time Magazine, USA Today and The Washington Post. In 2012, AJ was part of the core creative team that re-elected the President of the United States. One of the ads AJ wrote and produced for President Obama was awarded “Best Television Advertisement of The Year” by Campaigns and Elections Magazine. An honor he again earned in 2015 for an ad he created on immigration. AJ has served GMMB clients overseas as well. He’s worked on an anti-tobacco initiative in Nigeria, a clean energy campaign in the United Arab Emirates as well as a successful Mayoral contest in Tirana, Albania, where he lead the advertising and media efforts for the Lulzim Basha for Mayor Campaign, which earned GMMB the American Association of Political Consultants’ Campaign Excellence Award for International Campaign of the Year.

Merideth Potter

Senior Vice President / Corporate Social Impact / Issue Communications / Public Health

Merideth brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to helping her clients build communications strategies that solve the most pressing public health challenges in the country. Merideth’s more than nine years of experience in strategic communications includes advertising, branding, research, planning and digital and social media. Merideth oversees integrated campaigns at GMMB and currently manages the Mixify campaign on behalf of the American Beverage Association (ABA).

Working alongside ABA, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper Snapple and PepsiCo, Merideth manages this unprecedented joint effort on behalf of the beverage industry to raise awareness among teens of the importance of balancing what they eat and drink with physical activity. Mixify launched in 2014 and reaches teens through nationwide television and digital advertising, a robust social media campaign, influencer marketing and on-the-ground events across the country.

Sean Hawks

Vice President / Issue Communications / Political Campaigns / Education / Public Health

With more than a decade of experience in communications and advertising, Sean helps businesses, foundations, government agencies, organizations, and political campaigns get noticed, change minds and spur action. His areas of expertise include directing overall creative strategy; developing brands; managing research and messaging; driving earned media efforts; and writing, producing and placing digital, out-of-home, print, radio, and television advertising.

While Sean’s issue portfolio includes education, the environment, global health, health care, and politics, the common thread is helping people and organizations tell their story in a compelling way. For the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sean leads a Postsecondary Success Team dedicated to ensuring more students from low-income backgrounds start and finish a college education, which is the surest route into the middle class. For the Washington Health Benefit Exchange and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sean helps connect millions of Americans with quality, affordable health insurance. And for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Sean develops strategy; guides research and targeting; and writes and produces television, radio and digital ads that win elections.

Chelsey Perry

Senior Account Executive / Issue Communications

Chelsey believes that through smart storytelling, clients can share knowledge, deliver resolution, and create the change they hope to see in the world. With nearly five years of experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, she spearheads strategy design, regional and earned media counsel and execution, message development and coalition management. As part of GMMB’s Issue Communications team, Chelsey supports campaigns that are geared toward consumer safety, whether it be a vehicle recall or preparing for hurricanes with flood insurance.

Her current clients include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Raymond Fenton

Assistant Account Executive / Issue Communications / Global Health / Public Health

Raymond is a member of GMMB’s global and public health teams, providing communications and social media support to clients, including the Washington State Department of Health and the Malaria Elimination Initiative. Raymond comes to GMMB with a background in grassroots advocacy and organizing, community outreach, research and development, and multimedia production.

Jim Margolis

Partner / Political Campaigns / Issue Communications

Jim works at the intersection of politics, advertising and advocacy on behalf of candidates, foundations, government agencies, and corporate clients. He served as senior advisor to President Obama in both the former President’s campaigns for the White House, leading each cycle’s advertising effort and helping direct the campaign as part of the core strategic team. Jim also co-produced the two Obama Presidential Inaugurals and both of Mr. Obama’s national conventions. In the 2016 presidential election, Jim served as senior advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, leading her paid advertising effort and producing the 2016 Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

Nationally, Jim has earned one of the best win/loss records of any consultant in America, helping elect senators and governors from every region of the country.  And overseas, Jim has directed presidential and prime ministerial contests in Latin America, Africa, Central America, Europe, and Asia.

In the business and philanthropy world, Jim has advised America’s top corporations and nonprofits, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Cisco Systems, The Center for the Next Generation, L’Oréal, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service, AFSCME, VISA, and AT&T.

Over the years, Jim has been honored with dozens of awards and gained national and international recognition for his work. Before joining GMMB, Jim served as a top appointee in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

Andy Rigsby

Senior Vice President / Issue Communications / Global Health

For Andy, it’s the work that motivates him, the people who inspire him, and the urgent health issues—both local and global—that keep him coming back for more.

Whether advocating or advertising, at home or abroad, Andy shares his clients’ missions of creating a safer, healthier world. For more than six years, he has served as an advocacy and communications lead for Alive & Thrive, an initiative to reduce undernutrition and death caused by poor child feeding practices in developing countries. His work regularly takes him to countries like Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, India, Nigeria, and Viet Nam, where he develops campaigns to increase investments and political commitment to child nutrition.

Locally, he works with the Washington State Department of Health to design and implement behavior change communications strategies to prevent tobacco and marijuana use among teens, help adults quit tobacco, and promote smoke-free environments. He also works with UW Medicine across a range of strategic marketing and communications activities to support and elevate one of the most visible health care brands in the Pacific Northwest. His work in global and public health spans advertising, earned media, digital strategy, coalition building, and grassroots engagement.