Karen Baratz, Associate

Karen Baratz is a communications professional with a proven track record of conceptualizing and implementing strategic and cost-effective PR campaigns with tangible results for high profile companies and clients. Karen has an extensive and up-to-date Washington, DC media contact base and excellent working relationships as a result of her experience on high-profile DC special events including the annual July 4th and Memorial Day concerts televised live on PBS from the U.S. Capitol, the D.C. theatrical premieres of Cirque Du Soleil's "Ovo" and STOMP, the Earth, Wind and Fire 40th anniversary concert presented at the Kennedy Center by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the D.C. premiere party for Bravo's Real Housewives of DC.

A true self-starter, Karen works with clients to identify communications goals, develop key and consistent messaging tied to those goals, and generate a results-oriented action plan. She has a knack for writing press releases and communications materials and crafting pitches that resonate with the targeted audience. Media relations is her forte and her solid press contact base, coupled with her tenacity, enables her to generate noteworthy press coverage quickly. In addition to managing day-to-day communications needs for clients, Karen also specializes in new product launches, raising corporate profiles and media training.

Karen also served as Director of Communications for the Discovery Channel for eight years where she was responsible for the development and implementation of media strategy for the highly regarded cable network and its programming. Before that, she worked on Capitol Hill as press secretary for U.S. House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt for five years and managed national and regional press efforts.

A native of St. Louis, MO, Karen graduated from Vanderbilt University and resides with her husband and two children in Chevy Chase, Maryland in the greater Washington, D.C metro area.

Margaret Mankin Barton, Associate

Margaret Barton is a fundraising and management consultant with over 30 years of extensive experience in public affairs, communications and fundraising in both the private and public sectors. Her current clients include a national political organization, a multi-lateral bank and a national membership organization.

For the past five years, Margaret was Executive Director of the National Women's Business Council, an independent federal advisory council whose mission is to advise the President, Congress and the Small Business Administration on economic issues of interest to women entrepreneurs.

Prior to joining the NWBC, Margaret owned a small business as a fundraising, public affairs and communications consultant for political, private sector and nonprofit clients. Her work included developing and executing communications initiatives, providing counsel to support public affairs outreach, and managing fundraising campaigns for organizations such as the American Cancer Society.

In 1993, Margaret co-founded the Republican Network to Elect Women (RENEW), a multi-state political action committee that identified, recruited and supported women candidates to seek federal, state and local office.

She previously served as Special Assistant and Counselor to the Assistant Secretary in the Office of Postsecondary Education as well as the Director of Interagency Operations in the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to that, she was Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau of Food for Peace and Voluntary Assistance as well as Director of White House Liaison for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Margaret's extensive experience in politics and the federal government also includes positions in the White House Office of Vice President George H.W. Bush, the Republican National Committee, the Republican National Senatorial Committee, two Presidential Inaugural Committees and numerous Presidential, federal, state and local political campaigns.

Margaret has served on the Board of Directors at the National Constitution Center, and is a current member of the Board of Regents of Sewanee: The University of the South and a past President of the Sewanee Club of Washington. She was the first recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Sewanee and was selected as one of the "72 Women Who Are Changing the Face of American Politics" by Campaigns and Elections magazine.

Margaret received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Sewanee: The University of the South and was named a Trustee of the school in 2008. She also has studied at the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, University College, Oxford University, England and the Instituto de Estudios Iberoamericanos in Saltillo, Mexico. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and daughter.

James A. Boyle, Partner

Communications veteran Jim Boyle has a 31-year track record of success in political and corporate messaging, trade association positioning, investor and government relations and integrated consumer marketing communications.

Before co-founding Boyle Public Affairs, Jim was president of College Parents of America, a national membership association of current and future college parents, where he appeared frequently on TV and testified before the U.S. Congress and state legislative committees on college costs and other critical family issues.

Concurrent with his role at CPA, Jim was management supervisor at LM&O Advertising, Inc., overseeing the mid-Atlantic region's biggest advertising account, the $90 million per year National Guard recruitment contract, an innovative campaign that utilized text messaging, mobile apps, online, music videos, movie theater promotions, direct marketing, television, radio and sports sponsorships.

Previously, Jim served as vice president of brand marketing and corporate communications at Sallie Mae, following a stint in the interactive TV industry as the head of corporate communications at WorldGate in Philadephia.

Throughout the 1990's, Jim served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications for Discovery Communications, Inc., during a time of rapid domestic and international growth (from an asset value of less than $100 million to greater than $1.2 billion). There, he headed both internal and external communications, greatly contributing to reputation management of what became the world's most respected media brand, Discovery Channel.

In the late 1980s, as employee #17 at CNBC, Jim created the corporate communications and community relations function for NBC's first venture into cable television. Earlier, he served as director of programming publicity for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and as manager of publicity for NBC News' Washington DC bureau.

Jim began his public affairs career as a press secretary on Capitol Hill, where he served as chief spokesperson for two members of Congress. A native of Detroit, Jim holds a B.S. in Communication Studies from Northwestern University, where he was a National Merit Scholar.

Kellie M. Boyle, Partner

With the co-founding of Boyle Public Affairs, Kellie, a 26-year veteran of political, corporate, government and non-profit communications campaigns, returned from a two-year hiatus from public affairs while serving as director of development for a non-profit serving the families of wounded and deployed military troops. Immediately prior to this, she had directed public relation campaigns at LM&O Advertising, Inc., for clients that included the Army National Guard, Baron & Budd, PC and Charlie Palmer Steak.

From 2000 through 2008, Kellie operated her own communications consulting business, providing strategic counsel and editorial services to national clients such as the Veterans Administration, Remington Arms, Startec Communications, The Conservation Fund, the American Red Cross, the Small Business Administration and the American Medical Association. She also advised several political candidates and, as an affiliate of various DC communications firms, provided communications services to Johnson Controls, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the American Banking Association.

At Smith & Harroff Public Affairs in the late 1990s, Kellie represented, among other clients, tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, who was later played by Russell Crowe in the movie, "The Insider."

Kellie's first agency position was in the Washington, DC office of international advertising firm, Ogilvy & Mather in 1990. There, she led the state advocacy and communications component of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's "America Responds to AIDS" campaign at the onset of the AIDS epidemic.

Prior to this, Kellie served as an aide to elected members in the Virginia General Assembly and on Capitol Hill in both the House and Senate; as the executive director of the Bob Dole for President campaign in Virginia in 1988; and as a communications advisor to the Republican National Committee. In each of these roles, Boyle provided strategic communications, media relations, advertising, event management and speechwriting services for candidates and party officials at the local, state and national levels.

Kellie graduated from the University of Delaware in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts and Liberal Studies degree that combined public relations and political science.

Valerie Cooley-Elliott, Associate

A 20-year veteran of the television programming distribution industry, Valerie Cooley-Elliott's career in marketing began humbly (and decidedly, less glamorously) in her family's waste management business, winning government, residential and commercial clients and boosting the firm's annual revenue by 50% within two years.

Drawn to the entertainment field, Valerie became the Director of Marketing for Heritage-Baruch Television Distribution in 1991 where she contributed significantly to the company's sales growth through acquisition, syndication and international distribution of a variety of television specials, weekly series (such as New York Undercover and Showtime at the Apollo), and various movie packages. Over the ensuing 11 years, Valerie also managed public relations and major tradeshow sales and promotions for the company and served as Associate Producer on several projects.

Valerie set out on her own in 2002, becoming an independent television consultant and representative of select television properties. In this capacity, she marketed clients' programming to broadcast and cable networks; negotiated acquisition terms; and developed corporate sponsorship programs with major multi-national corporations.

In 2007, her skills and success caught the attention of a national real estate brokerage firm that recruited Valerie to develop a marketing program for its investment division. Ironically, her decision to explore this new industry coincided with the nationwide drop in the real estate market, significantly increasing and redefining the marketing challenges she faced.

Today, Valerie provides marketing counsel to a variety of clients, including several non-profits about which she feels passionate. She has a Bachelors Degree from George Mason University and lives with her husband and three sons in Sterling, Virginia.

Brian Donlon, Associate

Now a top producer of TV and online video content, Brian Donlon began his career writing about the television industry as the first TV beat reporter for USA Today. Observations and conversations with program producers, heads of major broadcast and cable networks, technical crews and distributors later informed the trajectory of Brian's career leading him first to Lifetime Television in 1993. There, he created and successfully managed a new network sports division, Lifetime Sports, and he paved the way for the company's entree into digital media with the creation of Lifetime Online, now one of the most visited web sites for women.

From the communications and programming side of the television industry, Brian migrated to actual production, and in 1999, he became a member of the senior production team that launched CBS' Early Show with Bryant Gumbel. That incarnation of the program drew record ratings.

In 2003, Brian founded Willoughby Productions, where he has since designed, developed and produced all types of content for the digital, cable and broadcast television marketplace. These have included Cold Pizza, ESPN's first morning news and information program, which Brian created and executive produced, along with its afternoon spinoff program, ESPN's 1st and 10. In 2007, Mr. Donlon helped to launch programming for the new Fox Business Network and was executive producer of 21 hours a week of live programming including "Fox Business Morning," "Money for Breakfast" and "Money for Breakfast Weekend."

Over the years, Brian has consulted on the development and production of several online and on-air properties for CNBC, iVillage, the Newborn Channel and the Major Indoor Soccer League. Most recently, he was a consulting producer for MSNBC, overseeing the "Steel on Wheels" tour that was part of the "The Dylan Ratigan Show." This cross-country tour of America included live TV specials, interactive web site, social media and online town meetings.

In addition to television programming, Brian also produces exceptional quality corporate videos for events, marketing and training, public service announcements, B-roll and infomercials. He is a graduate of Pace University and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two sons.

Brian Graziano, Associate

Brian Graziano is a seasoned digital marketing professional with over 11 years of corporate and agency work. His expertise in paid search (SEM); display, mobile and email marketing; landing page development; and social media uniquely position him as one of the most experienced digital marketing generalists in the Washington, DC area.

Recently, Brian helped Gannett's US Community Publishing (USCP) division with their local digital sales efforts. Collaborating with multiple corporate marketing teams, he ensured B2B digital marketing initiatives were promoted appropriately to local advertisers and the necessary resources were allocated to achieve defined outcomes.

Prior to this, Brian was one of the first members of the interactive department at Laughlin, Marinaccio & Owens (LM&O) advertising agency in Arlington, VA. He built and launched the agency's email and mobile practice with initial programs supporting clients like the Army National Guard, Air National Guard, a regional restaurant client and an international faith-based organization.

In addition to building out LM&O's email and mobile practice, he was responsible for multi-million dollar advertising budgets while managing clients' paid advertising and paid search campaigns. He also managed several successful digital initiatives for the agency's largest client, the Army National Guard. Brian identified the opportunity and led the negotiation and purchase, on behalf of the client, of the domain NationalGuard.com for its primary recruiting site. He negotiated and integrated Yahoo! Gateway and Rich Ads in Search partnerships used as the primary call-to-action for two national movie theater campaigns featuring Kid Rock and 3 Doors Down. He also directed the development of two Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) sites for mobile support of those two national movie theater campaigns. Brian lead the negotiating efforts for the National Guard's first online branded entertainment partnership, "Warrior Challenge."

Previously, at Sprint, Brian managed multiple interactive creative agencies to support B2B and B2C acquisition and retention campaigns. Brian's leadership skills and engaging personality lead to several years at AOL of being an accomplished project manager on regional, national and international cross-functional teams.

Brian, a lifelong Washingtonian, now lives with his wife in Arlington, VA.

Virginia Hume, Associate

Virginia Hume has nearly 25 years experience in public relations, political communications and traditional marketing. She spent more than ten years at Quinn Gillespie & Associates, designing and executing strategic communications plans on behalf of corporations, trade associations and coalitions. Her work included overseeing opinion research; message and materials development; digital media strategies; third party activation and training; media and message training; advertising and earned media.

Prior to QGA, Virginia was a Managing Director at BSMG Worldwide (now part of Weber Shandwick). She was a press officer at the Republican National Committee, under its legendary Chairman (now Mississippi Governor) Haley Barbour. Virginia was responsible for broadcast and national cable strategies, and for much of the RNC and RGA's press advance and logistics. Before the RNC, Virginia was the Deputy Communications Director for the Sauerbrey for Governor campaign in 1994. Prior to her political career, Virginia spent eight years in traditional marketing roles.

In addition to her superior strategic sense, Virginia's skills include writing and editing - she regularly produces compelling materials for clients, including speeches, policy newsletters, materials for websites and other digital media uses, opeds, white papers and traditional media relations materials. She also has extensive experience in digital media, including overseeing website development and executing social media, SEM and SEO strategies for clients.

Jim Hyland, Associate

A native of Washington, D.C. and a 19-year veteran of Capitol Hill, James Hyland has worked in U.S. Senate, in the House of Representatives, for Committees and in Congressional members' personal offices, the combination of which gives him the widest range of experience that one can have in the U.S. Congress.

Jim served as a Legislative Director to two U.S. senators, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee and Appropriations Committees. At that time, he authored the first bill in the U.S. Senate to eliminate the marriage tax penalty and another to criminalize church burning. He also led the effort to create the unique Breast Cancer Stamp.

During twelve years on the staffs of the House and Senate Banking Committees, Jim gained an intimate knowledge of the financial services industry as Assistant Staff Director to the House Financial Services Committee, and as Staff Director of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee on the Senate Banking Committee. He developed a strong background in federal appropriations matters as a senior aide for five years to two senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

An experienced attorney, Jim was in private practice for seven years at two of the largest law firms in the U.S, both as Counsel and Partner. The clients he has represented included corporations, trade associations, localities, states, non-profit entities, universities, transportation companies, and financial service firms. During this time, he helped secure funding for a major hospital, a large city transit system, the largest defense contract ever let by the Army in the State of Texas, federal funding for the State of Texas, several million dollars for the University of North Carolina on a wide range of research projects, and funds for a non-profit entity serving inner city children and helping them achieve the dream of a college education. Additional high profile successes included procuring a federal auto mandate for every passenger vehicle in the U.S. to be equipped with anti-rollover technology and banning excessive pay day lending to members of the military.

In early 2008, he formed The Pennsylvania Avenue Group, high quality, strategic, experienced and ethical services for clients in federal affairs matters. The Group's diverse, bi-partisan clientele includes the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Texas Land Title Association, American Share Insurance of Ohio, The Texas Credit Union, National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees and the Self Help Credit Union & Center for Responsible Lending.

Jim has a BA from George Washington University (1982) and a JD from George Mason University School of Law (1989). He is a licensed Member of the Bar in the Commonwealth of Virginia and District of Columbia. He and his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children reside in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Christal Karnaze, Associate

High profile media coverage for long-shot prospects has been the hallmark of Christal Karnaze's 27-year career in public relations and marketing. A creative and tenacious publicist, she has placed a cow on a nationally syndicated Fox talk show (Borden's Dairy); prize-winning dogs on the Today Show (Ralston-Purina); a Brinks truck filled with cereal on NBC Nightly News (also Ralston-Purina); "Maalox Moment" trucks at the New York Stock Exchange on the cover of the Wall Street Journal; and Ralph Nader on nearly every media outlet in the country during his 2000 presidential bid.

Christal has held account management roles at two international public relations firms, Edelman and Fleishman-Hillard, where her clients included Ralston-Purina, Anheuser-Busch, the NFL Alumni Association, Cybertel and the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau (where she hosted a mock Republican National Convention). Transferring from Fleishman-Hillard's St. Louis office to its Washington, DC bureau, she oversaw communications campaigns for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the U.S. Navy Memorial and Cylix Communications.

As an independent consultant during the past decade, Christal represented the DC Library Renaissance Project, College Parents of America, Baron & Budd, P.C., Charlie Palmer Steak and a broad range of corporate and non-profit clients. She received a BA in Communications and a second BA in Journalism/Political Science from California State University, Northridge.

She and her husband and three daughters reside in McLean, Virginia.

Tracy Key, Associate

For over 20 years, Tracy Key has been providing direct support to world leaders and world-class charities in the areas of strategic planning and management, fundraising efforts, major event planning and logistics.

As a consultant since 2000, Tracy has assisted numerous political, corporate and non-profit clients, including Jill's House, Inc. in Tysons Corners, where she recently raised $9.2 M in contributions and direct pledges for a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to providing care and support to children with special needs and their families.

From 1995 until 2000, Tracy served as Executive Assistant and Estate Manager for Their Majesties King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan, planning and managing their U.S. residence, their U.S. visits and speaking engagements. Following the King's death in 1999, Tracy helped to launch the King Hussein Foundation in the U.S., a national and international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to give meaningful expression to the late King's humanitarian vision and legacy.

Prior to this, Tracy was Director of Scheduling and Advance for the 1994 "George W. Bush for Governor Campaign" in Austin, Texas. She was recommended to the campaign by former president George H.W. Bush, for whom she had worked from 1988, initially as a campaign volunteer, until 1992, as an Advance Representative throughout his term in office. During this time, she implemented the logistics for over 100 domestic and 50 international trips made by the President.

In this capacity, in 1991, Tracy served as the Deputy Director of the Desert Storm Victory Parade held in Washington, DC for military troops returning from Desert Storm. In 1992, she was named Staff Assistant in the White House Visitors Office and oversaw arrangements for special events such as the Annual Easter Egg Roll, the Christmas Candle-Light Tours, Arrival and Departure Ceremonies of Marine One on the South Lawn and Arrival Ceremonies for visiting Head of States.

Between the two Bush engagements, Tracy served as the Executive Assistant and Advisor to Mary D. Fisher, founder of the Family AIDS Network, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness, compassion and resources with which to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America.

Tracy and her husband, Clinton Key, joined forces professionally in 2000 to form Key and Associates. They both currently serve on the Pediatrics Board of Georgetown University Hospital.

Jacquelyn Kittredge, Associate

Several years ago, as the Director of Marketing for a health care firm, Social Media Specialist Jacquelyn Kittredge began using social media as an inexpensive vehicle for distributing her company's marketing messages. When she discovered its effectiveness in reaching targeted audiences, she became a self-described proselytizer of the benefits of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks in meeting a variety of business objectives.

Today, Jacquelyn teaches organizations how to incorporate social media into their marketing mix and to use it to engage their customers. She designs and executes programs for top tier clients in need of professional level social media strategy and tactics.

As president of e*Bakery Social Media, Jacquelyn has worked with The Brookings Institution, The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, Commonwealth Orthopaedics, Grindstone Partners, Elm Street Development, Virginia Surgery Associates, and The Corcoran Jennison Companies.

Often called upon to share her expertise, her recent presentations have included: How to Make the Most of Your Facebook Page and Engage Your People with Facebook.

Jacquelyn earned her undergraduate degree in Marketing and MIS from The University of Virginia. She also holds a master of Architecture from Virginia Tech. She resides with her family in Alexandria, Virginia.

Dina Martinez, Associate

Dina Martinez's expertise is in coming up with not just the big idea - but the right idea. Whether it's a strictly PR effort, the development of an integrated recruitment marketing campaign or the development of a turn-key branding package, Dina can quickly identify for clients the most effective and efficient means of reaching audiences in a meaningful way.

For nearly 15 years, Dina has been developing, leading, collaborating and implementing marketing and communications initiatives that deliver on specific business needs. Her experience includes work across multiple sectors and brands including the Airline Owners and Pilots Association, Discovery Channel, Electrical Alliance, Freddie Mac Foundation, and the Hispanic College Fund.

Dina shares her passion for communications with both undergraduate and graduate students at her alma mater, American University, where she has held various teaching positions over the years.

Along with her husband, ethnic marketing specialist Favio Martinez, Dina founded the Viona Group, where she oversees day-to-day operations, managing client relationships and leading marketing and communications programs that drive client connections with core audiences. When not helping clients connect with target audiences or sharing her expertise in the classroom, Dina can be found spending time with her husband and their two kids.

Roland Owens, Associate

Roland Owens has more than 29 years of experience in the graphic arts and printing industry providing high quality production and services for a clientele that includes associations, federal and local government agencies, corporations, non-profits and several branches of the military.

Formerly a graphic artist himself, Roland brings a keen eye for design and quality to his clients, helping them develop brand stability with all forms of print and online communications: from brochures, magazines, annual reports, exhibit booths and signage to website design and HTML email blasts. This also includes 508 compliant deliverables for the federal government.

Roland is also committed to superior client service, which has been a key factor in his work with such clients as AARP, National Retail Federation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the departments of Justice, Transportation and Veterans Affairs; the National Park Service, the National Portrait Gallery, Booz Allen Hamilton, Global Education Group, My Weight Doctor, and the Washington Speakers Bureau.

As president of Allen Wayne Ltd, Roland is dedicated to environmentally conscious printing that ensures a stunning product and a sustained Earth and his company uses soy-based ink, chemical-free printing plates, and either recycled paper or paper from sustainable forests. In 2009, Allen Wayne received the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Environmental Excellence Award.

Krista Van Lewen

Krista Van Lewen is a strategic-minded public relations and marketing communications professional with more than 20 years of experience, primarily in the technology, non-profit and entertainment industries. Spending nearly a decade in Silicon Valley, she gained a reputation for putting numerous startup companies on the map in addition to raising visibility further for well-known names. Her work with Internet and consumer-oriented companies includes Hewlett-Packard, Cisco (Flip Video, Linksys and Valet), Time-Warner Home Video, Wordnik, Third Age Media, LookSmart, One True Media, RoomSync, Healthline Networks and The Dealmap (acquired by Google).

Krista helped launch and was the first head of communications for Kiva.org, the fastest-growing non-profit in history; other nonprofit clients include TechSoup Global, DailyStrength.org, Namaste Direct and JantaLoans.org. Her food and beverage experience includes Mezzetta Foods and Porthos.com, an online wine store. During her eight years at Discovery Communications, Krista managed corporate communications, helped re-launch the newly acquired The Learning Channel and developed and executed the PR strategy for Discovery's ancillary businesses including Discovery Channel Books and Discovery Pictures.

Through her years in agency and in-house PR roles, Krista has created and managed scores of marketing, public relations and social media campaigns; developed messaging and branding for products and services; managed press and analyst relations; assisted companies with PR as they entered the IPO phase; provided company executives with PR counsel and crisis communications strategies; and served as company spokesperson. Krista's work has resulted in coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Forbes, The Washington Post, Upside, Business 2.0, Wired, CNN.com, Huffington Post, TechCrunch, AllthingsD, and a wide range of radio, television and other online media outlets.

Krista holds a B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communications from Michigan Technological University. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado.

M. Darrell Williams

Darrell Williams has over thirty years' experience in advertising, public relations and media production. During this span, his unique concept of "integrated communications," a practice that blends creative and strategic branding techniques, has helped dozens of energy and technology organizations achieve successful results.

His efforts as a writer, director and producer in both broadcast and print advertising have won him numerous national media awards.

As an expert in public advocacy and outreach communications, Darrell is also widely respected for his executive image and speech training seminars for officers of corporations, professional membership organizations and universities.

Darrell has lectured at the Kennedy School for Public Policy at Harvard, served as a White House media consultant, and consulted for overseas governments.

In February, 2002, he became a Senior Partner and CEO of Strategic Media Group in Washington, DC, developing institutional, political and public policy campaigns as well as producing commercial, special interest and documentary programs.