London School of Economics and Political Science

University of Pennsylvania

Northeast Communications Director at Biden for President

Washington, District Of Columbia

- Managed Biden for President communications teams and strategies across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, including Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, and Virginia. - Developed and guided long-term communication programs to drive state-specific narratives and define the presidential race in states critical to Joe Biden’s path to victory, including successfully flipping Pennsylvania blue and winning more votes than any President-elect in American history. - Advised and provided daily guidance to communications teams and senior staff across the Northeast, including rapid-response support for national and in-state coverage of the campaign. - Worked with paid media, polling, data, state and national leadership to develop and oversee the execution of state, regional, and coalition-specific communications strategies to engage, persuade, and mobilize key voting groups. - Wrote and distributed messaging materials, strategy memos, and background to shape local and national media coverage around campaign strategy and principal activity. Served as on-the-record spokesperson for local and national media.

Biden for President

Northeast Communications Director

- Oversaw and managed campaign-wide message plans to shape campaign narrative and ensure short and long-term message coordination across departments, including earned media and research priorities, digital and social media verticals, policy, and paid media.  •	Developed and executed strategic communications plans and created materials for campaign leadership, staff, supporters, and surrogates for rapid response needs. •	Managed the daily execution of announcements, proactive press pitches, and background materials across early state communications teams to shape campaign narrative in national and local press leading up to the Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina contests.  •	Wrote and distributed message frames, memos, and background materials for media and stakeholders before, during, and after early state contests, which proved critical in the hours and days surrounding the Iowa caucuses. Worked in partnership with data and analytics team, pollsters, and senior campaign leadership to craft and drive key messages. •	Provided message guidance and approval for all content distributed internally and externally from the campaign, including email, paid media, social media, press releases, op-eds, talking points, and fundraising materials.  •	Developed communications plans for surrogates in key early states; managed the team responsible for identifying, pursuing, and executing press opportunities for campaign surrogates.

Pete for America

Deputy Communications Director

- Developed and managed strategy to drive message across presidential campaign verticals, including owned media, political surrogates, validators and constituency outreach. •	Oversaw strategy and execution for message-driven travel for candidate and surrogates. Collaborated with political, outreach, earned media and digital teams to tell broader campaign narrative through candidate travel and events.  •	Developed outreach and message strategy for critical campaign constituencies. Worked with analytics directors, digital team, state teams and outreach leaders across the campaign to identify innovative strategies to reach key voters, drive campaign message, and increase support among grassroots and grasstops individuals. •	Created weekly newsletter and weekly campaign message content for voters, supporters, staff and donors. •	Managed constituency communications directors and press associate.

Beto for America

- Oversaw the development of communications narrative for progressive political organization focused on reaching voters where they are and expand the voting electorate, particularly through innovative digital advertising and organizing programs. - Leveraged nontraditional digital, communications, and paid media strategies alongside traditional earned media efforts to maximize impact of digital media programs across audiences and expand the organization’s thought leadership.- Managed social media and creative team responsible for ACRONYM-owned communications channels and wrote the FWIW newsletter (<a href="http://www.anotheracronym.org/fwiw">www.anotheracronym.org/fwiw</a>) to advance ACRONYM’s brand voice- Managed the development and execution of multi-million-dollar national digital programs focused on engaging and mobilizing new or apathetic voters across traditional and nontraditional media channels. - Member of senior team responsible for developing creative vision for over $16 million in digital campaigns and identifying areas to innovate, test and learn within programs.  - Differentiated ACRONYM among media and influencers as a disruptive political force focused on transparency, infrastructure-building and developing critical learnings about how to mobilize hard-to-reach voters online. Secured coverage of ACRONYM programs in outlets such as NPR, CNN, Bloomberg, the Washington Post, Now This and numerous local outlets across battleground states. - Served as on-the-record spokesperson for the organization and liaison to external partners and funders.

ACRONYM

Senior Director of Communications

- Led long-term policy communications campaigns to support IBM's Government and Regulatory Affairs organization • Provided strategic communications counsel and media preparation to IBM C-Suite leaders. • Partnered with global teams in government relations, communications, and business to develop and drive communications programs that advance IBM's advocacy and leadership on high-profile public policy matters across multiple geographies.• Developed, deployed and measured impact of communications programming built around specific IBM policy priorities, issues and technologies, including cognitive computing, AI, and Watson technology. • Engaged policy audiences, media, technology and political influencers to support IBM's work in key areas.

External Relations, Government and Regulatory Affairs

- Managed promotion of EMILY's List programs, campaigns and candidates in the media. On the record spokesperson for the organization for print, radio, television, and digital audiences.- Managed communications team members to identify new opportunities for promotion of EMILY's List and respond to news of the day for maximum exposure- Developed and managed relationships with national reporters, and media in key markets across the country. - Supported communications departments of federal, gubernatorial, statewide, and local campaigns across the country; advised on short and long-term media strategies; provided debate preparation services and crisis communications advice. - Managed creation of external communication materials, including statements, press releases, short and long term messaging materials around major initiatives.

EMILY's List

Communications Director

- On-the-record spokesperson for the nation’s largest resource for women in politics. Regularly perform live interviews on print, radio, and television on daily political issues as well as EMILY's List's long-term goals.- Manage promotion of EMILY’s List and candidates in national, regional, issue-based, and specialty media markets. - Coordinate and liaise with external partners in government, business, political advocacy, and PACs to showcase EMILY’s List’s work at the local and national level and drive media narratives around strategic partnerships.- Member of team that developed, implemented, and promoted $10 million campaign targeting millennial women voters in the 2016 election cycle. Successfully developed and executed earned media strategy around campaign and advised on creative strategy for digital paid media and native content.  Successfully placed over a dozen stories in various outlets focused on EMILY’s List’s innovative digital strategies and independent expenditure campaigns.- Supervise and manage the communications team in providing strategic communications support to approximately 40 federal, gubernatorial, and legislative campaigns of candidates across the country. - Proactively identify opportunities to promote candidates across media platforms; pitch issue and candidate-based stories to various media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Vocativ, Refinery29, and other specialty media. - Prepare and deliver message briefings for EMILY’s List principals for interviews and on-the-record work; provide media training and debate preparation to principals and candidates.

National Press Secretary

- Advised the governor on long term messaging strategy and day-to-day interaction with media. Traveled with the governor for all open press events, handle media inquiries, and develop media strategy surrounding the governor’s events and policies.- Served as on-the-record spokesperson for Governor McAuliffe and McAuliffe Administration; lead member of communications team responsible for developing media strategy and policy for women’s issues.- Served as liaison to external stakeholder groups and coordinate long-term communications plans to coincide with McAuliffe Administration priorities

Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe

Traveling Press Secretary

- Developed and executed communications plan for Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe's transition team. - Wrote major speeches for Governor-elect McAuliffe for events ranging from appointing members of the governor's cabinet to the first major policy address of his governorship.- Advised the governor on communications strategy for media interviews post-election and leading into the beginning of Governor-elect McAuliffe's term.

Governor-elect McAuliffe Transition Team

- Daily interaction with local and national reporters and on-the-record spokesperson for the McAuliffe for Governor campaign.  - Identified and managed all positive message events for the candidate and surrogates; worked with elected officials, local stakeholders and field teams to execute events for candidate and principals such as President Obama, President Clinton, Vice President Biden, and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.- Developed long-term communications plan for the McAuliffe for Governor campaign, including coordination of campaign, surrogate, and Democratic Party of Virginia messaging calendar; developed talking points and message materials related to all surrogate and candidate events.

McAuliffe for Governor

Deputy Press Secretary

- Managed the daily schedule for Administrator Mills, including development and preparation of comprehensive meeting and event briefings, hearing preparation materials, small business economic data reports, talking points, and other targeted communications materials for Cabinet-level Administration activities.- Coordinated all foreign, domestic, and local travel for Administrator Mills and served as a key member of SBA’s scheduling team responsible for determining the Administrator’s short and long-term schedule.

US Small Business Administration

Special Assistant to the Administrator

- Traveled domestically and internationally to develop comprehensive logistical plans and execute official visits of the President, Vice President, First Lady and Second Lady- Responsibilities as Press and Site Lead included negotiating with host, congressional offices, foreign delegations, and White House Communications to create message events for the President. - Engaged with local officials and United States Secret Service to coordinate press logistics, build sites, and manage crowd and volunteers to carry out successful events for all parties involved.

The White House

Advance Associate

- Assisted White House staff in logistics planning and execution for all White House events.- Interacted closely with various White House departments, including the Office of Public Engagement and White House Communications, to develop message events for the President and the First Lady.- Served as Deputy Volunteer Manager for White House Easter Egg Roll, overseeing 1,200 volunteers.

Rachel Thomas

Rachel Thomas