Practice Area
Political Advocacy
Fenton is the go-to agency for the progressive movement at the national, state and local levels. Our clients are the advocacy groups, coalitions, think tanks, unions, elected officials and political leaders leading the fight to build power for our communities, enact progressive policies and defeat the right-wing’s harmful agenda.
In recent years, our team has spearheaded campaigns to safeguard democracy, defend reproductive freedom, combat climate change, promote economic justice and tackle gun violence — to name a few — resulting in concrete reforms passed in Congress, statehouses across the country as well as ballot initiatives.
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- Joe Wagner Chief Of Political Advocacy
- jwagner@fenton.com
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Area Experts
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André Ory Senior Vice President
André Ory is a Senior Vice President at Fenton, where he serves as a political communications strategist for leading national and state advocacy groups, coalitions and nonprofits in the progressive space. André has led successful media and integrated communications campaigns to protect the 2020 election and results from President Trump’s attacks, advance democracy reforms to make our government work for everyone and promote the Green New Deal and meaningful climate action, among others.
Prior to joining Fenton, André served as an Account Supervisor at BerlinRosen, where he helped organizations working across LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, public health and immigrant rights achieve their mission using compelling communications. He has also worked on thought-leadership and communications initiatives in the global public health space while at Rabin Martin, and has built his communications chops while at Edelman, Triomphant Communications and the French Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
A native of France, André now lives in the neighborhood of Shaw in Washington D.C. He is a graduate of The City College of New York’s Branding + Integrated Communications Master’s program, along with Sciences Po Aix en Provence.
- Political Advocacy
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Joe Wagner Chief Of Political Advocacy
As the Chief of Political Advocacy at Fenton, Joe brings more than 25 years of experience designing and managing campaigns for foundations, nonprofits and advocacy organizations. Joe brings tremendous expertise in strategic positioning, advertising, media relations, training and stakeholder outreach.
Prior to joining Fenton, Joe was a Vice President, Group Manager at Ketchum Public Relations. Joe was also a Vice President at GMMB for seven years, where he orchestrated many high-profile public affairs campaigns. Joe is a native of Los Angeles and worked on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign in California before starting his career in Washington in the press office at the Democratic National Committee.
- Political Advocacy
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Adia Aidoo Senior Account Executive
Adia Aidoo is a Senior Account Executive at Fenton. She uses her background in public relations, sociology and public affairs to implement strategies that make lasting change with clients that range from education to reproductive justice. Adia supports account teams in many ways to execute strategies that move the needle on issues she cares about the most, like racial justice, LGBTQ+ equity and environmental justice.
Adia’s dream has always been to work in a role that helps people and towards social change. Her previous experiences as a Public Relations Fellow for State Representative Spencer Frye and the President of the College Democrats of Georgia have led her to her role at Fenton. Adia graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in Public Relations and Sociology and a certificate in Public Affairs Communications.
- Political Advocacy
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Cassandra Huffman Senior Account Executive
Cassandra Huffman is a Senior Account Executive at Fenton, where she implements her experiences in advocacy and public relations to drive strategies that will result in lasting change. Cassandra supports a variety of teams in many ways to help create social change that will make a more just world for all.
Cassandra has always been passionate about making the world better for everyone. Her prior experiences include interning with the Center for Public Interest Communications and completing a summer fellowship at Fenton. During her undergraduate experience, she helped found and lead the first Public Interest Communications Student Association, and she continues to be a mentor for students in the organization. At Fenton, her work with clients is centered around reproductive rights, racial justice and more.
- Political Advocacy
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Dario McCarty Account Executive
Dario McCarty is an Account Executive at Fenton, where he utilizes his previous communication experience and writing skills to implement strategies that make lasting change with clients working on issues that range from climate change to criminal justice reform. Dario supports the account teams in many ways to execute strategies that move the needle on issues he cares about most.
Dario’s goal has always been to work toward social change. His prior experience with OpenSecrets, a resource for tracking the influence of money in U.S. politics, and with public relations firm BerlinRosen led to his position at Fenton. His clients include the Climate Jobs National Resource Center, Black Voters Matter, the MacArthur Foundation, and more.
Outside the office, Dario spends his time going to concerts and playing pick up basketball and soccer. Originally from the Bay Area, California, Dario graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a double major in English and Political Economy.
- Political Advocacy
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David Corbin Associate Vice President
David Corbin is an Associate Vice President at Fenton, where he leverages previous experience as a communications director, digital strategist, content creator and film producer throughout various fields.
Prior to joining Fenton, David served as a senior communications advisor and speechwriter to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, where he spearheaded strategies around public health, reproductive rights, education, gun reform, criminal justice reform and environmental initiatives. He and his team repeatedly and successfully took on the Trump Administration’s radical efforts by protecting SNAP benefits, preserving the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate and ensuring a fair 2020 Census count. David’s work against powerful institutions, from tackling childhood sexual abuse within the Catholic Church to fighting the gun lobby’s push against commonsense reform, focused on targeting malicious actions that preyed upon vulnerable communities. His priorities are centered around combating the climate crisis and fighting for racial justice.
- Political Advocacy
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Eva Grant Account Director
Eva Grant is an Account Director at Fenton, where she utilizes her media relations, journalism and communications skills to implement impactful, mission-driven strategies with our clients.
Eva is constantly committed to communication with purpose, using her skills to advance causes she cares about. Her prior experience with the Center for Global Development, writing for Bustle and time at other nonprofits and newsrooms led to her position at Fenton. Her clients include National Nurses United, Entertainment Industry Foundation and more. Eva graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a degree in international relations and a minor in theatre.
- Political Advocacy
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Justin Olsen Account Executive
Justin is an Account Executive at Fenton, where he supports public relations efforts with a focus on political advocacy, racial justice, and voting rights issues. He began his career at The New Georgia Project as a Canvasser and Voter Registration Ambassador, directly engaging with Georgia voters in the lead-up to the 2022 Senate election between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. He then advanced to a Communications Associate role, where he monitored press coverage, managed press contacts, and assisted with strategic communication planning.
Justin’s advocacy experience also includes participating in the Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) as a delegate for The Gambia. He held leadership roles at the University of North Georgia, including serving as President of the Political Science and International Relations Student Association’s Hyde Park Club, where he led discussions on foreign policy issues, Trump’s impeachment, and fostered diverse dialogues on campus.
Originally from Georgia and now based in Queens, New York, Justin enjoys staying active through basketball and exploring film, particularly sci-fi and thrillers and is always welcome to film recommendations.
- Political Advocacy
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Lana Abbasi Account Director
Lana Abbasi is an Account Director at Fenton, specializing in political advocacy and communications, including voting and reproductive rights.
She joined the firm after five years on the Hill, most recently as the Communications Director for Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA). She had previously also served as a deputy communications director, press secretary and field representative in his office. Lana also counseled clients at Westbound Communications and OPR communications.
She graduated from La Sierra University in Riverside, California with a bachelor’s degree in public relations.
- Political Advocacy
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Matt Levy Senior Account Executive
Matt Levy is a Senior Account Executive at Fenton, where he draws upon his agency and public-sector experience to develop impactful campaigns with lasting messages. He contributes to the account teams by providing media relations and communications support for a variety of progressive causes.
Matt is passionate about creating concrete changes that allow people to lead easier lives. He got his start in politics interning for several elected officials, including Congressman Ted Lieu and Mayor Eric Garcetti. Most recently, he was an intern at BerlinRosen, focusing on labor and economic issues. He graduated from Whitman College with a double major in economics and art history.
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- Political Advocacy
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Serena Jiwani Vice President
Serena Jiwani is a Vice President, specializing in media relations, issue-based advocacy and strategic communications.
Serena joined Fenton after leading media relations for the United Nations Foundation, where she provided press guidance to teams across the foundation, arranged interviews for leadership and organized global press trips for journalists to see the UN’s work in action. Serena cares deeply about social justice causes and brings a diverse perspective to her clients.
- Political Advocacy
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Tyler Drayton Senior Account Executive
Tyler Drayton is a Senior Account Executive at Fenton, where he utilizes his prior government and organizational communications experience to implement strategies that make lasting change with clients on issues that range from voting rights to criminal justice. Tyler supports the account teams in many ways to execute strategies that move the needle on issues he cares about most.
Tyler initially joined Fenton in January 2022 as a Strategic Communications Fellow. Prior to Fenton, experience at the NYC Office of the Mayor and UNICEF fostered a keen interest in advocacy and public service, which he continues to grow through his current work with clients. Tyler graduated summa cum laude from The City College of New York with a B.A. in public relations and advertising.
- Political Advocacy
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Valerie Jean-Charles Vice President
Valerie Jean-Charles is a Vice President, specializing in media relations, building communications strategy, rapid response and project management. She is dedicated to working to advance movements that prioritize the well-being and rights of marginalized and vulnerable Americans.
Prior to joining Fenton, Valerie worked at the Hub Project, where she worked on progressive economic issues like progressive taxation and national public polling initiatives. She also worked for four years at Everytown for Gun Safety, where she developed both national and regional communication strategies focused on state legislative campaigns, combatting hate crimes and National Gun Violence Awareness Weekend.
- Political Advocacy