Speakers

Jonathan Adashek

Chief Communications Officer and SVP, Marketing and Communications, IBM

Stacey Alexander

Partner, Government Relations, Avoq

Stacey provides clients with a unique blend of public policy, public affairs and campaign experience. Stacey’s approach to solving complex problems is to turn conventional wisdom on its side in search of innovative solutions. She works with corporate and trade association clients to forge longstanding relationships and build federal advocacy efforts that yield bipartisan results.

Stacey has successfully developed and directed federal advocacy campaigns that have favorably elevated the profile of industry leaders and their collaborative approach to informing public policy, particularly in the areas of crypto tech.

Prior to Avoq, Stacey served as chief of staff to then-Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), where she worked with House Leadership and committee staff on a variety of legislative and political issues, including energy, healthcare, trade and tax. Prior to her service in the House, Stacey directed public affairs campaigns as a senior associate at APCO Worldwide, and has private sector experience that has contributed to her perspective and approach on Capitol Hill. A longtime political advisor, Stacey served as deputy political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Stacey hails from Rhode Island and is a proud mom to an amazing son, lifelong Pats fan and seeker of outdoor adventure. She loves to cook and garden and is always game for a dance party.

Whit Askew

Partner, Government Relations, Avoq

Whit has two decades of experience in campaign politics, lobbying and integrated advocacy at the highest levels. He leverages his extensive relationships and proactive strategic mindset to drive successful outcomes on a diversified range of issues in the commerce, financial services, energy, workforce, technology and hospitality sectors.

Whit has effectively managed the Economic Investment Alliance, a diverse industry coalition supporting full expensing tax policy to spur U.S. business investment. During the pandemic, he advised many clients to successfully pursue critical resources necessary to protect essential services and small business jobs. He has developed and executed multiple campaigns on behalf of the integrated gaming resort industry that led to successful policy outcomes in Congress and within the U.S. Treasury, FinCEN, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Trade Commission. Whit frequently plays a leading role in preparing C-suite executives and other client officials for witness testimony and hearing participation. And he is regularly called on to present political briefings and analysis to client executives, boards and various industry leaders.

Prior to joining Avoq, Whit served as vice president of government relations at the American Gaming Association (AGA), where he was a senior leader and top lobbyist representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry before Congress, federal agencies and state/local governments. Prior to AGA, he served Speaker of the House John A. Boehner of Ohio, over multiple election cycles, as executive director of The Freedom Project/Team Boehner. He led the national political operation that played a critical role in the GOP’s historic 2010 takeover of the House. Whit was PAC director of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America in 2005, following service in several capacities at the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2003-04 cycle.

Whit, who rocks a bow tie every day, owns far more clothes than his wife and two daughters combined. An overly passionate Tennessee Volunteers football fan, he has slept at least one night in all of the lower 48 states.

Rob Bernstein

Chief Innovation Officer, Ketchum

Ron Bonjean

Co-Founder And Partner, ROKK Solutions

Johna Burke

CEO and Global Managing Director, AMEC

Johna has more than 30 years of experience in PR, communication, and marketing. Leading the PR and investor relations efforts at a Fortune 500 company provided first-hand experience in the challenges and trials of PR professionals. During her career, Johna has managed regional and national business lines, including responsibility for production, sales, HR, finance, and the overall client experience, which further developed her understanding of P&L and the impact of communication. Her success and expertise give her unique experience and perspective, making her a tireless advocate of tying communication efforts to business results. Johna is a PR News Measurement and ICCO Hall of Fame member, AMEC Fellow, PRCA Fellow, and Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) Supervisory Committee member and serves on the IPR Measurement Commission and recently was awarded the Jack Felton Lifetime Achievement Award from the IPR.

Lisa Campbell

Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Mars Pet Nutrition

Adam Christensen

Chief Marketing Officer, Notified

Strand Conover

Partner, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

Valarie De La Garza

Chief Executive Officer, Fenton

Valarie brings energy, leadership and passion for social change to both her work in strategic communications and her commitment to the community. During her three year stewardship as CEO, the agency has doubled in size – a notable achievement for a firm in its fourth decade. Valarie is the agency’s first woman and person of color to serve as CEO. Fenton leads the industry in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with 55% of both the agency’s leadership and overall staff represented by people of color. Prior to joining Fenton, Valarie led the communications and marketing for the California Community Foundation, one of the largest and most prestigious community foundations in the country.  Valarie is a highly skilled strategist, writer and team builder. She has expertise in marketing, media relations, community outreach and public affairs. While her non-profit and public sector experience runs deep, including her representation of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s national Latino marketing efforts, she’s also worked extensively with major consumer brands. Valarie serves on the board of directors for Homeboy Industries and PR Council. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UCLA where she was honored to serve as the first Latina editor-in-chief of The Daily Bruin in its 60-year history.

Richard Edelman

Chief Executive Officer, Edelman

Richard Edelman is the CEO of Edelman, a global communications firm, and Chairman of Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, the firm’s holding company. Founded in 1952 by his father Dan, Edelman remains independent and family owned with more than 6,000 employees in 66 offices across 28 countries.   

The firm was selected as Global Agency of the Year by PRovoke in 2022. Edelman was named to Advertising Age’s A-List in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2019 and was honored as “PR Agency of the Decade” by both Advertising Age and PRovoke. At the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Edelman won a Gold Lion in the Sustainable Development Goals category and was named Co-Independent Agency of the Year for the Good Track. At Cannes in 2021, Edelman became the first PR Agency to win a Grand Prix as lead agency in the Entertainment Lions for Sport and was named Independent Agency of the Year in the Entertainment Track. 

Richard was named CEO in 1996 taking over for his father, who remained Chairman until he passed away in 2013. Now in his 26th year as CEO, Richard is one of the longest tenured agency leaders in the marketing services industry. During that time, he’s guided the firm’s entry into Digital, Creative, Performance Marketing and Advisory. Under Richard’s leadership, Edelman’s revenue increased 11.5 times enabling it to become the largest communications firm in the world surpassing $1 billion in revenue. DJE Holdings’ revenue increased 14 times during that same period making it the largest independent communications holding company. He also serves as Chair of Edelman’s sister agency Zeno, which was named large agency of the year in 2021 and 2022 by PRWeek. Zeno employs 730+ people across 18 offices.

Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, having led assignments with major corporations, NGOs and family businesses. He has advised senior executives through significant disruptions within their organizations, including Samsung, Starbucks and United Airlines, and worked on the largest professional services merger in history of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. Richard works with numerous clients including Unilever, Dairy Management Inc. and Chobani. He has counseled countries in every region of the world on economic development programs. As the creator of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Richard has become one of the foremost authorities on trust in business, government, media and NGOs. Now in its 22nd year, the Edelman Trust Barometer is widely recognized as the leading piece of research on trust with its cross-cultural insights regularly cited in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, Forbes and other media. The survey also informs academic studies on trust and provides insights to thought-leaders and opinion-shapers around the world.

In 2022, Richard was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the first PR executive to ever earn this honor. In 2019, Richard was named the PR Agency Professional of the Past 20 Years by PRWeek and was inducted into the publication’s Hall of Fame; in 2014, Richard was inducted into the Arthur W. Page Society’s Hall of Fame; Advertising Age named him Agency Executive of the Year in 2008. Richard is regarded as an industry thought leader and has posted weekly to his blog since 2004.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council, the Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), the Atlantic Council, Project HOOD, P33, and the 9/11 Museum. He is a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, World Economic Forum and PR Seminar.

Richard earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1976. He and his wife Claudia live in New York City, and he has three daughters, Margot, Tory and Amanda.

Robert Fisher

SVP, Federal Government Affairs and Public Affairs, Verizon

Robert is Verizon’s Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations & Public Affairs. He manages Verizon's advocacy and relations in the United States Congress, oversees Verizon’s federal, state, and local tax policy advocacy, and is responsible for Verizon’s public affairs strategy relating to public policy. Robert is also Vice-Chairman of Verizon’s Political Action Committee.

Before joining Verizon, Robert was Director of Government Affairs for Clear Channel Communications (now iHeart Media). Previously, Robert served on the staff of U.S. Senator John McCain where he worked on the Senate Commerce Committee. In this role, Robert advised then-Chairman McCain and other Senators on the Committee on a wide range of telecom and technology issues.

Robert also worked on Senator McCain’s 1998 reelection campaign, his 2000 Presidential campaign and was a policy advisor during the Senator’s 2008 Presidential campaign. Robert is a veteran of political campaigns and has served as an informal policy advisor to 3 Republican Presidential campaigns.

Robert serves on the Board of Trustees for PGA Reach, the charitable foundation of the PGA of America. He’s also on the Board of Directors of No Greater Sacrifice, a non-profit dedicated to the children of our nation’s fallen and wounded Service members by delivering scholarships and resources through the pursuit of higher education. Robert and his wife Rebecca are co-founders of Operation Christmas Hope, a non-profit helping deserving families provide Christmas for their kids. Robert graduated from Arizona State University with a B.A. in Political Science.

Paul Holmes

Founder & Chair, PRovoke Media

Paul Holmes, founder and chair of PRovoke Media, has been writing about public relations for more than 25 years. Paul began his career in local newspapers in the north of England and also worked for a newspaper group in South London before joining PR Week as news editor in 1985.

In 1987 he moved to New York to launch the short-lived US edition of that publication, and after that project came to an inglorious end worked with Adweek and Adweek’s Marketing Week for a year.

In 1989, he launched his own company, initially publishing Inside PR, and later Reputation Management magazine, both focused on providing analysis of critical trends and issues in the public relations industry. He created the annual Public Relations Agency Report Card, which included profiles of the leading PR firms in the US, and the Creativity in Public Relations Awards, which grew to become the largest in North America.

Early in 2000, Holmes launched The Holmes Group, which provides knowledge and insight to public relations professionals across a variety of platforms, including a website, an e-newsletter, events, printed reports, research and consulting assignments, and the SABRE Awards competition. The group’s flagship title, PRovoke Media (p/k/a The Holmes Report), covers the public relations business in the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2011, Paul was inducted into the ICCO Hall of Fame.

Jim Joseph

U.S. CEO and Global CMO, Ketchum

Rodell Mollineau

Co-Founder And Partner, ROKK Solutions

Kim Sample

President, PR Council

Arun Sudhaman

CEO & Editor-in-Chief, PRovoke Media