Spitfire Strategies is comprised of experienced communications professionals who have worked for years to publicize the efforts of worthwhile organizations, including:

Kristen Grimm, President

Kristen Grimm has extensive experience conceiving, implementing and managing strategic communications campaigns. She is president of Spitfire Strategies, which provides communications solutions to support positive social change.

Prior to Spitfire, she was a fellow at the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), where she worked on issues including banning landmines, reforming the death penalty and criminal justice systems, and reducing the threat of nuclear war.

Before her fellowship, Kristen was the president and chief operating officer of Fenton Communications where she oversaw a professional staff of 65, as well as managed client accounts including The Justice Project, Align Technology, World Wildlife Fund, the Aspen Institute, NRDC, and Youth Service America. While at Fenton, she wrote NOW HEAR THIS: The Nine Laws of Successful Advocacy Communications (with generous support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation). More than 10,000 copies of the booklet were distributed in the nonprofit and foundation sectors.

She has conducted many capacity building communications trainings for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations including the Open Society Institute, Pew Charitable Trusts, Arsalyn Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, and National Association of Children’s Hospitals.

Kristen is a frequent speaker on communications and successful advocacy strategies and has recently addressed the annual conferences for Independent Sector, Environmental Grantmakers Association, the Council on Foundations, the Communications Network, and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals.

In 1999, she won the Silver Anvil for her work on SeaWeb’s ‘Give Swordfish a Break’ campaign, which successfully mobilized hundreds of chefs across the country to stop serving swordfish until the U.S. government adopted a sustainable fisheries management plan.

Prior to Fenton, Kristen was a senior account executive with Millennium Communications Group where her clients included: The Benton Foundation, California Nurses Association, Public Allies, and Rock the Vote.

Kendra Beach, Senior Account Executive

Kendra Beach brings to Spitfire experience in event planning, fundraising and political communications. Kendra joined Spitfire as an account coordinator, gaining experience in writing, research and media relations. Prior to Spitfire, Kendra worked for the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonprofit research group in Washington, D.C. While at the CFI, she conducted various research projects on campaign finance and its political implications. She also assisted in planning education seminars and press conferences on Capitol Hill and at the National Press Club.

Previously, Kendra served as deputy finance director at the Virginia Democratic Caucus during a critical campaign season. She worked with House of Delegate members to raise funds in an attempt to regain party control in the state legislature. She wrote a variety of campaign materials, including direct mail pieces and fundraising letters, and assisted in organizing events for delegates and key donors.

Kendra started her career working in the office of U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb (D-Va.) and at the Virginia Commission on Family Violence Prevention.

Kendra holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communications from Virginia Tech.

Erin Campbell, Senior Associate

Erin Campbell has nearly a decade of experience developing strategic communications plans and creative content for politicians, nonprofits and private companies. Prior to joining Spitfire, she was Press Secretary and Speechwriter for Senator and former Representative Bernie Sanders. As a senior aide, Erin advised Rep. Sanders on current issues and public comments, generated extensive local and national media coverage, and served as spokesperson and speechwriter in both his House and Senate offices.

In 2004, Erin served as Communications Director for the challenger in North Carolina’s 11th district congressional race. As one of the campaign’s key strategists, she implemented a highly successful communications plan that helped position the race as one of the most competitive of the 2004 cycle. This included serving as the campaign’s spokesperson and overseeing the development of creative content for television, radio and print advertisements.

Erin also has extensive experience in branding and marketing, including working as a copywriter in the creative departments at Barnes and Noble.com in New York City and Gap Inc. in San Francisco. She is a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Arizona.

Thea Carlson, Training Coordinator

Thea is a member of Spitfire’s training team, working to plan and coordinate training events and programs. She brings experience in program development and management with a number of nonprofit organizations working in the areas of environment, education and community development.

Prior to joining Spitfire, Thea started and coordinated the nutrition education program at Harder Elementary School, where she trained teachers in hands-on curriculum and designed and built an educational garden. She also created promotional materials, secured grants and donations from local businesses and recruited parents to become involved in the program. Previously, she managed a youth educational employment program with Lots to Gardens, a nonprofit that builds community through urban gardens in Lewiston, Maine. As the projects coordinator, Thea planned, scheduled and implemented program activities, managed finances and staff work plans and communicated with community members and partner organizations. She has also worked with the Quest Scholars Program, Pesticide Action Network North America and Methodus Consultora, a capacity-building NGO focused on sustainable rural development in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Thea earned her Bachelors of Science from Stanford University in Earth Systems, an interdisciplinary major combining environmental science, economics and policy. She is a cellist, dancer, and is proficient in Spanish and Portuguese. She currently serves as the bilingual liaison for her neighborhood community garden.

Katherine Chamberlain, Account Executive

Katherine Chamberlain brings to Spitfire Strategies experience in strategic communications planning, development and implementation.

Prior to joining Spitfire, Katherine successfully developed and implemented strategic communications at Fleishman Hillard International Communications. As a member of the consumer marketing practice in the Washington, D.C., office, she had the opportunity to provide communications counsel to a variety of nonprofit, association, government, and private sector clients including the Library of Congress and the 2005 National Book Festival hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, AARP, the National Confectioners Association, the Better Sleep Council, and National Public Radio. In that role, she effectively coordinated and implemented national, regional and local strategic media campaigns.

Previously, Katherine worked at The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization, funded by America’s leading alcohol distillers dedicated to the fight against underage drinking and drunk driving. As a member of the social responsibility arm of the alcohol industry, Katherine’s duties ranged from a variety of media relations tasks as well as event planning undertakings to the development and implementation of educational program materials. She also spent time working with congressional and state staff to develop program partnerships.

Katherine earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kalamazoo College in English with an emphasis in writing and a minor in political science.

Colleen Chapman, Vice President

Colleen Chapman has close to 15 years of public policy and advocacy experience, beginning with grassroots environmental and public health efforts in New York state during the Cuomo administration.  Her background includes extensive work in federal, state and grassroots policy and issue campaigns.

Prior to joining Spitfire Strategies, Colleen was senior associate for public policy for Burness Communications where she led multiple client portfolios with an emphasis on health, education, Medicaid, women and families, and the development of relationships between community non-profits and policymakers. In that role, she worked with multiple foundations to train community leaders in developing effective messages for the public, policymakers, and the media to advance their issues.

As national manager for public policy with the American Cancer Society (ACS), Colleen led the development of policy priorities for ACS chapters in all 50 states, grassroots initiatives, and partnerships related to health disparities and the medically underserved.  While at ACS, Colleen led outreach and coalition development efforts with diverse advocacy groups including the NAACP, National Council of La Raza, Intercultural Cancer Council, and the National Indian Health Board, as well as joint work with the National Conference of Mayors, the National Governors Association and key leaders in Congress.  She was a leading force behind the development and advancement of patient navigator legislation and defense of state and federal Medicaid budgets.

Starting her career in grassroots community-based advocacy, Colleen facilitated the replication of Planned Parenthood's Church Partnership Program in inner cities across the country.   In this role, Colleen's work focused on developing unique alliances between faith leaders and family planning organizations to reduce teen pregnancies and the contraction and spread of HIV/AIDS in many of the nation's poorest communities.  

She sits on the board of the Women's Information Network, based in Washington, D.C., and has served as a guest lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and multiple conferences on policy, grassroots advocacy, health care reform and women's rights.

A former journalist, Colleen served as a beat reporter for a daily paper in New York and a columnist for Gannet newspapers.

Colleen grew up in the agricultural heart of rural upstate New York.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in religion from the University of Rochester and a master's in English from the University of Maryland.

Beach Codevilla, Senior Vice President

Beach Codevilla brings over nine years of political media experience to Spitfire. She recently merged her own firm, Rising Tide Communications, with Spitfire, adding a Western office to the company and such clients as Rx Plus Pharmacies, Metro Organizations for People and the Outdoor Industry Foundation’s “Business for Wilderness” campaign.

Before starting her own firm, Beach ran the Colorado office of Fenton Communications and worked for a wide range of clients, including Environmental Media Services, National Environmental Trust, Sierra Club, the Shadow Conventions and Protected Harvest.

Prior to joining Fenton, Beach was a vice president at Squier Knapp Dunn Communications where she was responsible for the media strategy and advertising production for Governor Evan Bayh’s successful 1998 US Senate bid. Among other clients, she produced media for the American Cancer Society, Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore and the Gore 2000 primary campaign. She was also the campaign manager for Congresswoman Diana DeGette’s 2000 re-election campaign and spent three years working for Ridder/Braden, Inc., a Denver-based survey research and grassroots organizing firm. In 2002, she was the “Election Night” associate producer in Colorado for CBS Evening News.

Beach sits on the board of the Center for Environmental Citizenship. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree in professional communication from Clemson University.

Robin Deliso, Account Executive

Prior to joining Spitfire, Robin served as an intern in the communications department at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, organizing ads, clips, and endorsements as well as researching pertinent campaign information. Robin also interned at the American Prairie Foundation in Bozeman, Mont., where she researched economic and environmental issues. Previously, Robin worked as a litigation assistant at the law offices of Cravath, Swaine and Moore in Manhattan.

As an undergraduate, Robin volunteered as a mentor to eighth grade girls in an Upper Valley middle school, helping them prepare for the social and academic transition to high school. She also wrote features for The Dartmouth and participated in an organization dedicated to improving gender relations on campus. She studied abroad through an immersion program at the University of Barcelona in Spain and is proficient in Spanish.

Robin received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Dartmouth College.

John Gordon, Senior Associate

John Gordon has been an innovator in the campaign game for over 15 years. He has extensive experience developing strategic communications and marketing plans for social change organizations, political candidates and socially-minded businesses. John leads Spitfire projects for clients including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Robert Wood John Foundation and is the go-to expert on all things Internet.

Prior to joining Spitfire, John was the director of interactive communications and marketing at Girl Scouts of the USA. He didn’t eat many cookies, but he did develop strategic Internet and new media communications and marketing initiatives that supported both the goals of the national organization and the over 300 Girl Scout councils across the U.S. John was integral in transforming the internal and external communications strategies and structures of the organization and was a key player in the brand repositioning effort that created a new relevancy for the three million plus members of the iconic organization.

Prior to the Girl Scouts, John was partner and creative campaign director at the Carol/Trevelyan Strategy Group. At CTSG, he was responsible for developing online and offline roadmap strategies for national and international progressive issue groups that translated complex policy debates into creative campaigns and tactics that moved grassroots supporters, influenced decision makers and raised millions in donations. John also led the development and direction of award-winning creative campaigns like Republican Survivor and Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women. His innovative efforts to integrate online and offline strategies have been recognized with multiple Webby, Pollie and Golden Dot awards.

John is a reluctant East Coaster who grew up in Los Angeles and received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Oregon.

Gwyn Hicks, Managing Director

Gwyn Hicks has a wide variety of public advocacy experience, working in both the communications and public policy sectors. Before joining Spitfire Strategies, Gwyn was executive vice president of Environmental Media Services (EMS) where she worked on a number of efforts aimed at using media to impact environmental policies. While at EMS, Gwyn worked on several ocean conservation campaigns including Give Swordfish a Break and Seafood Choices Alliance, an effort to educate chefs and other food purveyors about the environmental impacts of seafood selections and help them make good menu choices. Gwyn also worked on public transportation, land conservation and endangered species issues, often compensating for small budgets by using solid communications strategy to overpower highly funded corporate opposition.

Prior to EMS, Gwyn was director of communications and marketing for American Hiking Society where she ran National Trails Day, an annual nationwide trail celebration, and conceived of and launched Winter Trails to promote snowshoeing and other winter trail activities. Gwyn created corporate sponsorship programs and worked with a variety of outdoor companies to raise the visibility of the organization and highlight the importance of trails. She also staged several national promotional events including a trail festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. that drew thousands of hiking advocates and garnered extensive media coverage. Gwyn also developed and promoted public outreach campaigns for Times Mirror Magazines Conservation Council, including Public Lands Appreciation Day (now National Public Lands Day), an effort to encourage volunteerism on public lands.

In addition to a variety of communications and marketing skills, Gwyn possesses a firm understanding of the legislative process, having worked as a staffer for the House Subcommittee on National Parks. She also worked as a reporter covering city and county government for newspapers in Maryland and New Jersey.

Gwyn has a master's in public communications from The American University’s School of Communications and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communications. She is a co-author of Exploring the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, which explores the historical and cultural significance of the trail, and has been published in the EPA Journal and Walking magazine.

Kimberly Johnson, Account Executive

Kim recently joined the West Coast Spitfire team as a member of the training team, bringing with her experience in special event planning and management, as well as skills in writing and editing for a variety of media, including press releases, newsletters and print and radio ads.

Prior to Spitfire Strategies, Kim worked as a communications specialist at SEIU United Healthcare Workers – West in Oakland, Calif. At UHW, Kim developed public relations campaign strategies and tactics to support the union’s organizing, contract bargaining and legislative goals, and provided extensive media training to staff and member spokespeople.

Kim also worked as a marketing assistant at the Small Business Exchange in San Francisco, a weekly newspaper dedicated to providing business opportunities to small, minority and women-owned businesses across California and the U.S. 

Kim received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications at The University of Arizona where she was the sports editor for the University’s “Desert” yearbook, and is a rare breed – a San Francisco native actually living in San Francisco.

Piper Kerman, Vice President

Piper  Kerman brings her experience in interactive communications, branding and marketing to Spitfire Strategies following years as an agency creative director and as an independent consultant. Over the past year, she has worked on accounts ranging from crafting a new membership campaign for The League of Woman Voters to developing a new design and marketing approach for the National Housing Trust.

Piper has a solid track record of conceiving and implementing integrated communications strategies that include award-winning Web sites and interactive marketing, television advertising, print and promotions. Her past clients include Sprint, Cendant Corporation, Buick, Castrol USA and BP, The New Republic, ESPN and Condé Nast. Based in New York, Piper has led creative teams at interactive agencies and Web services firms such as i33 Communications, Commerce One, and Xceed.

Prior to her marketing strategy work, Piper was a film and video producer, with producing and writing credits on Jets Insider, Speedvision, WalkFit with Kathy Smith and commercial clients including Sony, Murad, Select Comfort, Guthy-Renker, 24 Hour Fitness and Harper Collins.

Danielle Lewis, Senior Account Executive

Danielle has a wide range of strategic communications skills, including graphic design, press materials and publication development, campaign coordination and event management. She has strong media relations skills and experience pitching to ethnic outlets. Danielle is also proficient in Spanish.

Danielle began her career at McKinney and Associates, a Washington public relations firm where her clients included the YWCA of the USA, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She coordinated national and regional media campaigns promoting affirmative action, efforts to end racial profiling, environmental justice and post-9/11 infringements on civil rights and liberties.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Arts in rhetoric and communication studies and Spanish from the University of Richmond.

Holly Minch, Vice President

Holly recently joined Spitfire Strategies to lead its nonprofit training and capacity building programs. She brings 10 years of strategic communications and media relations experience, with a special emphasis in training and coaching for communications capacity building and nonprofit leadership development.

Prior to joining Spitfire Strategies, Holly served as director of the SPIN Project, a nonprofit communications consulting firm assisting grassroots groups nationwide with strategic support, training, coaching and public relations resources. In her work with the SPIN Project, she directed and guided the SPIN Academy since its inception, and created and developed virtually all of the SPIN Project's resources, including training curriculum and tutorials, and online training tools.

Holly was the editor of the 2004 book Loud and Clear in an Election Year: Amplifying the Voices of Community Advocates, created to help nonprofits convey their messages in the election environment. 

Holly began her career in communications advocacy at the Sierra Club, where she served as press secretary in their in Washington, D.C., legislative office. She served as a primary media contact with the national press corps, and created and implemented national, regional and local strategic media campaigns.

 Holly also serves on the Board of Directors of Green Media Toolshed, an online clearinghouse of strategic communications tools for public interest organizations.

Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and language from the University of Southern California. 

Michelle Molloy, Senior Vice President

Michelle has substantial experience developing comprehensive communications campaigns for a diverse group of corporate and non-profit clients faced with changing competitive or policy environments. Most recently Michelle comes from Robert M. Brandon and Associates, a public interest public affairs firm. At Brandon and Associates, Michelle worked with an extensive network of national groups such as the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). Michelle focused extensively on shaping and reforming both state and national level telecommunications and electricity policy issues and well as fairness in lending and digital divide issues. Also while at Brandon and Associates Michelle worked with A Greater Washington, a regional non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the greater Washington area, to develop and launch the Fields of Dreams program in Washington DC. In only three years, the program has grown to provide after school and summer academic and athletic enrichment for over 300 of the District’s most needy children.

Prior to joining Brandon and Associates, Michelle worked for New York based strategic communications firm SS+K. While at SS+K Michelle worked to research, develop and implement communications programs for clients GLAAD, Time Warner Cable NY and Liz Claiborne Inc., among others. Michelle also managed advertising campaigns for NY City Administration for Children’s Services, Southern Company, Mack-Cali and the Student Loan Marketing Association. Michelle has Bachelor of Arts from Bucknell University and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.

Alyssa Oliveri, Account Executive

Alyssa has been a proud Spitfire since May 2007. She works on a variety of issues, including ocean policy, children’s healthcare and indigent defense – helping clients achieve their communications goals through strategic media relations. Alyssa views the media not only as a tool for educating the public, but also as a vehicle for persuasion – ultimately with the power to bring about real social change. 

Prior to her days at Spitfire, Alyssa served as the public relations manager for RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. While at RAINN, she garnered national media coverage in outlets such as Time Magazine, The New York Times, O! Magazine, Cosmo, Fox News and NPR. She also helped manage RAINN’s annual college outreach program, a real grassroots project implemented on the regional level. In addition, Alyssa gained experience reaching Generation Y through social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Before RAINN, Alyssa gained valuable media relations and writing skills at Porter Novelli, where her clients included the Propane Education & Research Council, the Abundant Forests Alliance, the Almond Board of California and the Alzheimer’s Association. Working on social marketing projects, such as the Propane Council’s “Safe Grilling” campaign, convinced Alyssa that communications efforts really can make a positive difference. She also learned how to grill fruit, which is quite tasty.

Alyssa started her career at Ketchum Public Relations, where she worked for a variety of clients in both the healthcare and technology sectors. She graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Marketing.

Dennis Poplin, Senior Associate

Dennis Poplin comes to Spitfire with over 20 years of experience as an organizer and educator. He moved to Washington, D.C., from his local San Antonio, Texas, Planned Parenthood affiliate to work for the national office in 1998. As former Assistant Director of Field Operations at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Dennis was instrumental in the development and execution of all major organizing and public policy projects, campaigns and programs. He was responsible for the development and management of PPFA’s grassroots field programs including: Republicans for Choice (35 chapters in 20 states); Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood (180 campus chapters); offline organizing and direct action; grass tops and CEO outreach; meetings and conferences; coalition efforts; and internal and external organizing communications.

His most exciting accomplishment was overseeing logistics and nationwide PPFA mobilization for the April 25, 2004, March for Women’s Lives, which brought more than one million pro-choice supporters to the National Mall. Another fun activity was coordinating pro-choice visibility events during the recent federal judicial and Supreme Court nominations process at the Supreme Court, White House, U.S. Senate and other Washington, D.C., locations. These events were covered by major media outlets including ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Prior to Planned Parenthood, Dennis was a community-based organizer working on LGBT, youth empowerment, HIV/AIDS, and arts and cultural diversity issues.

While dedicating the last 12 years to reproductive justice, Dennis spent the year before joining Spitfire as a consultant to other progressive LGBT and death penalty abolition organizations.

Monisha Som, Account Executive

Prior to joining Spitfire Strategies, Monisha Som worked as a research associate in the antitrust department of the National Economic Research Associates. At NERA, Monisha performed quantitative and qualitative analyses and economic and market research to support expert testimony of Ph.D. economists concerning pending mergers and acquisitions, economic damages, alleged antitrust violations, and regulatory proceedings.  

Previously, Monisha served as an intern at APCO Worldwide where she monitored and analyzed national and local news and conducted online and library research of political and legal issues related to client projects and business proposals. During her internship at the office of Congressman Joseph Hoeffel, Monisha provided direct staff support, led Capitol tours, and managed constituent inquiries. As an intern at the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, a research center chartered by the George Washington University, Monisha compiled and researched information on Eleanor Roosevelt and her work in human rights.

As an undergraduate, Monisha participated in the Elizabeth J. Somer's Women's Leadership Program at The George Washington University and NEW Leadership DC, a women's leadership program focused on politics at American University. Monisha received her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in criminal justice from The George Washington University.  

Jared Steinberg, Account Coordinator

Jared joins Spitfire after working at Edelman Public Relations on the International Affairs team. While there, Jared supported account executives representing the Panama Canal Expansion campaign, the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, and the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development. Jared was responsible for daily media monitoring and analysis, as well as assisting in the creation of international press reviews. In addition, he drafted press releases and media blasts later cited in major online and print publications.

Jared hails from Boston, Mass., where he previously interned in Government Relations at O’Neill & Associates. Through this internship, he was able to conduct a great deal of research and analysis for outreach and partnership efforts. Prior to this position, Jared worked in Consumer Market Research at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass. There he honed his research skills and pitched some of the world’s largest companies, including Nike, Deloitte, The Gap and IBM, to recruit top-level executives for competitive analysis interviews.

While studying at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Jared dedicated his senior honors thesis to dissecting the origins of prejudice. He conducted a year-long study in the Social Psychology Lab, testing participants and analyzing the cognitive phenomena associated with automatic prejudice. Jared also founded the university’s first chapter of Best Buddies International, an organization committed to improving the lives of mentally disabled citizens. In May of 2006, Jared graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. 

Margaret Swink, Account Executive

Margaret Swink comes to Spitfire with a wide variety of experience in nonprofit communications and advocacy, as well as international project management. She is fascinated by “new media” and all the ways smart communications can activate people to create social change.

Prior to joining Spitfire, Margaret worked as an independent communications consultant in San Francisco, working with a variety of environmental and human rights nonprofits on event planning, communications, development and strategic program evaluation. Additionally, Margaret served as a research fellow at the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center and as a graduate fellow at the Dzeno Association, a media advocacy organization for Roma in the Czech Republic. She formerly worked on and around Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as a program associate at the Center for Medicare Advocacy and as an intern in the office of Sen. Carl Levin.

Margaret is a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having completed two years of service as an education and development volunteer in Cameroon, West Africa. During her service, she taught English, directed a project to build a library at her local high school, served on several Peace Corps coordinating committees, and introduced her students to computers for the first time. She is proficient in French.

Margaret earned her master’s degree in International Relations from Yale University and received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University’s James Madison College.

Stacia Tipton, Senior Associate and Director of Research

Stacia has been advising clients on communications strategies for more than a decade. She brings a diverse background as a researcher and former publicist to all the Spitfire client teams.

Most recently, Stacia was a vice president at Widmeyer Communications where she helped establish the firm’s research practice. As director of qualitative research Stacia interacted with nearly all of the firm’s research clients, designing and conducting focus group and other research for the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Princeton University, West Virginia University, The Coca-Cola Company, the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, numerous state and local health departments and other clients. As moderator, Stacia has conducted hundreds of focus groups with audiences ranging from students, to consumers, to physicians.

Stacia was a founding member of the Consortium for Risk and Crisis Communication in the fall of 2001. She was trained in message mapping and crisis communications by Dr. Vincent Covello, a global authority.

She has previously worked at both Ogilvy Public Relations and Fenton Communications. Her favorite moments in public relations were generating headlines about snowmobiles in the national parks and interning at Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont. Stacia’s undergraduate and master’s degrees are from the College of Journalism at University of Florida.

Adrienne Verrilli, Senior Associate

A communications veteran who has worked in non-profit community for the past 10 years, Adrienne Verrilli joined Spitfire Strategies in 2007. As an expert in public policy, Adrienne brings broad-based strategic thinking to communications and media strategy. At Spitfire, Adrienne works on children's health, ocean and environment issues, as well as foundation initiatives.

Immediately prior to joining Spitfire, Adrienne worked at the Public Interest Media Group. With the Public Interest Media Group, she promoted progressive health and education issues including access to the health care system for low-income people and people with special medical needs, geriatric patient care. Adrienne also worked on teen pregnancy, STD and HIV prevention, family planning and abortion rights. Her successful communications efforts placed in her clients in the Associated Press, Crain’s, Newsday, NY-1 News, New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, among others.

Adrienne also served for more than four years as the director or communications for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS), where she spear-headed the organization’s proactive and reactive media strategy to promote and defend comprehensive sex education in the U.S. and abroad. Adrienne’s work at SIECUS consistently brought critical sexual health issues to the national spotlight with segments on 60 Minutes, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Oxygen, NPR and PBS, and numerous appearances in the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, U.S News and World Report, The Nation, Glamour, Seventeen and Self Magazine, among others.

Adrienne cut her media teeth on reproductive health and rights issues at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association and Planned Parenthood Federation of America working on national and state communications campaigns. What makes Adrienne particularly unique is her former life as a banker. Following her passion for a more equitable and just world, she left a 10-year career in the financial industry for the progressive non-profit community.

Ed Walz, Senior Associate

Ed Walz brings more than a decade of direct public policy experience to the Spitfire team. His experience extends from drafting and advancing successful federal legislation to working with local governments and community-based organizations to secure project funding or regulatory improvements.

Prior to joining Spitfire Strategies, Ed served as Legislative Director for Congressman Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, where he supervised a team of Legislative Assistants responsible for preparing the Congressman to act on pending legislation and advance his own legislative agenda. As a senior congressional aide, Ed worked with a bipartisan, bicameral team of legislators and staff to win House floor passage of legislation authorizing the importation of safe, affordable, effective medicine from Canada and other allied nations. While at Congressman Brown’s office, he drafted and advanced energy efficiency legislation, federal funding to support a local, veteran-owned manufacturing business, appropriations for enhanced enforcement of US trade laws, and other legislation. He developed multimedia communications tools to inform constituents in the debate over Social Security privatization, raise awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit among other congressional staffs, constituent groups, and advocacy organizations, and help local governments access federal environmental conservation and infrastructure resources. Ed also organized and implemented a hearing-styled public forum examining the social and economic consequences of a low-cost, global-sourcing business model.

Ed previously served in a variety of capacities for two other members of Congress, Tom Barrett and Jim Moody, both of whom represented the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area. He represented legislators in constituent meetings and public forums, and he provided problem-resolution services to constituents facing roadblocks dealing with federal agencies. He drafted and advanced legislation on issues ranging from gasoline pricing to Medicaid reimbursement for hospitals serving low-income patients. Ed worked with local officials and community organizations to secure federal funding for local initiatives, including a $20 million public housing revitalization award. And he worked with nationwide nonprofit organizations to secure Federal Communications Commission regulations reserving the abbreviated telephone dialing code 211 for human services referral hotlines.

He was raised in southeastern Wisconsin, where his family owned a small restaurant business, and he attended the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.  Ed started a small charitable foundation, in partnership with a Wisconsin community foundation, and has been an active volunteer in the Washington, DC, area.

Jessica Zimmer, Account Coordinator

After a successful internship at Spitfire Strategies, Jessica joined the team as an account coordinator and works on projects ranging from media outreach for electionline.org to research for Activation Point to media audits for TransFair USA. Prior to Spitfire, Jessica spent a semester in Washington through American University, researching and identifying community concerns and creating strategies to address these. Outside of coursework, she interned at Taxpayers for Common Sense where she researched and compiled fact sheets on economically sound public health care programs, lobbied Congress for fiscally responsible policies, and fact-checked policy analyses on the roadless rule and the Tongass National Forest.

Jessica has been active in grassroots and national campaigns for political candidates and campaign finance reform as well as an avid community volunteer coordinating volunteer projects for Trinity College’s Athletic Department, assisting in an inner-city, bilingual classroom of recently immigrated third-graders, teaching English as a Second Language classes, and coaching YMCA swimmers.

Jessica hails from northwestern Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Trinity College (Conn.). Prior to graduation, she lived in Cape Town, South Africa, studying the economics of African natural resources and African history and traveling extensively in the region.