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Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics, and communications, has partnered with IMPACT ROI to launch STAR (Social Threat Analysis & Response), a proprietary program for Fortune 500 companies, trade associations and other top-tier businesses to assess and respond to social threats in the marketplace.  

A majority of Americans now expect companies to lead on the social issues that matter most to them. With incidents of social justice, equity, and activism occurring almost daily, these social threats comprise a new level of enterprise risk. The STAR program focuses on identifying the specific social threats that may require a response from an organization as they evolve, and guides decision-makers through a rigorous framework for determining if, when, and how to respond. The framework is custom-built, providing a tailored approach for each organization’s unique circumstances.

“Organizations need to be consistent in living and communicating their values,” said ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau. “The STAR framework is built to facilitate objective decision-making in highly matrixed organizations, driving consistent and proactive action if and when it makes sense. It’s an essential tool not just for public affairs, but across government relations, diversity, equity & inclusion, marketing and even finance functions.”

“Businesses that are managing social risks well have seen significant increases in their financial performance, from increases in share price and productivity to reductions in turnover,” said Steve Rochlin, CEO of IMPACT ROI, referencing findings from his firm’s Project ROI Research Series. “We are at a transformative moment for businesses, and STAR provides senior leadership the decisive counsel it needs to act in a financially-forward way.”

ROKK Solutions and IMPACT ROI are long-time partners, with Rochlin serving as the strategic advisor to ROKK’s Social Impact Communications practice. ROKK has undergone a tactical expansion over the past 36 months resulting in double-digit growth and a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities designed to service the evolving needs of clients in the public affairs marketplace. The agency has been recognized as a Public Affairs Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media, a Small Agency of the Year by PR News, and is on the 2020 Agency Elite 100 list from PR News. For more information on STAR, please visit rokksolutions.com/star.

Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, is pleased to announce that Varuna Bhatia, a well known communicator who worked for years in the cable news broadcast industry has joined the firm as Vice President.

Bhatia comes to ROKK Solutions from DCG Communications, where she worked on project management, media relations, event planning, social media and newsletter production for multiple federal agencies.  She brings a strong background in media relations, having previously worked at Fox News Channel as an Assignment Editor and other duties for 12 years.  In this role, her responsibilities spanned reacting to breaking news and coordinating live news coverage; planning logistics for multiple major events; managing daily assignments of field producers, photographers and audio technicians; blogging news stories for FoxNews.com as well as serving as an off-air breaking news reporter for the network.  

“I’m so thrilled to be joining the team at ROKK,” added Bhatia. “I look forward to using my years of experience working with the media and strategic insights to help ROKK’s clients achieve their goals.”

ROKK also welcomed additional new team members and promoted another from within: 

Brigitta Gegenheimer– As a sign of ROKK’s growing creative capabilities for its clients, Gegenheimer adds firepower to the firm’s design team, bringing with her digital media, website design and significant expertise in motion graphics.

Melvetta Dockery– Joining the firm as Office Manager, Dockery draws from her experience running offices such as the American Banker Association. In her new role, she will support all administrative functions and firm operations. 

Briana Pittelli– Pittelli joined ROKK in March, 2019 as an Senior Account Executive, applying her healthcare expertise to the firm’s work for one of the largest healthcare providers in the country.  Briana will continue to support ROKK’s growing roster of public affairs clients in her new capacity as an Account Director.  

“We are pleased to welcome and celebrate these stand-out team members.  We are proud to attract top talent in the public affairs arena and fortunate that we can continue to solve our clients’ toughest challenges, especially in the COVID environment” said Co-founder and Partner Rodell Mollineau. 

As a premier public relations firm located in Washington, DC, ROKK Solutions continues to grow its service offerings across multiple platforms, including digital, creative and coalition management, as well as in a number of industry verticals related to healthcare, energy and climate.

ROKK Solutions announced it was formally teaming with long-time dial-tester Engagious on a co-marketing agreement to pitch advocacy clients on a way to navigate the new Washington. The announcement comes after the two shops had teamed during the pandemic on the Back to Normal Barometer, which used focus groups to gauge consumer sentiment. “Strategic communications complimented with hard data regarding consumer attitudes is the trend that we’re heading in as communications consultants,” Ron Bonjean, who co-founded ROKK Solutions, told C&E.

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Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, today welcomed Rachael Payton as a Senior Account Executive.

Payton comes from BCW Global, where she was a part of the 2020 Census integrated communications campaign. In that capacity, she worked with national partners to  emphasize the importance of the decennial census and encourage U.S. residents to respond. Prior to working with BCW Global, Rachael has created and implemented public relations strategies for companies in various industries including technology, finance, and mental health.

“With a background in public relations and a passion for philanthropy, Rachael’s unique perspective will be a strong complement to the ROKK team,” said ROKK Solutions partner Rodell Mollineau.

Payton is also the founder of BeGreatDC, a local nonprofit dedicated to health and wellness, youth education and community engagement in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership in 2020, BeGreatDC responded to the pandemic by putting nearly $10,000 worth of resources back into the community to support COVID-19 relief efforts and to provide students with technology for virtual learning. Before founding BeGreatDC in 2017, her philanthropic leadership efforts began as the Director of Communications for the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network.

Payton earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication from Old Dominion University. Additionally, she is a 2013 alumna of the Washington Media Institute where she developed a mature understanding of media relations while studying the intersection of communications, politics, and journalism. 

“We are thrilled to have Rachael join our growing team dedicated to providing the best communications practices on behalf of our clients,” said partner Ron Bonjean ROKK has undertaken a strategic expansion over the past 24 months, resulting in double digit growth and a strengthening of capabilities across its offerings, including paid advertising, campaign management, cybersecurity communications, and social impact communications. 

About ROKK Solutions

ROKK Solutions is a full-service, bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications. Having spent years counseling companies, trade associations, coalitions and non-profits, our team possesses decades of senior-level public service experience, which allows us to offer our clients a true understanding of the policymaking process and the media strategies needed to create a climate for success. And unlike many other firms, we bring a bipartisan approach to each client engagement because our experience shows it is the most effective way to ensure a clients’ objectives are achieved.  

For more information on ROKK Solutions, please contact Ron Bonjean at ron@rokksolutions.com.

Washington, D.C. –ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and communications, announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with IMPACT ROI.  Through this partnership, CEO Steve Rochlin will serve as a senior advisor for ROKK’s Social Impact Communications practice. Rochlin brings over 20 years of experience in sustainability and corporate responsibility (CR) to the firm’s newest practice area, which is led by Managing Director Lindsay Singleton.

“Companies are engaging in meaningful CR efforts at unprecedented levels, but few organizations are communicating those efforts to legislators and change makers in Washington,” said Rochlin. “ROKK Solutions’ bipartisan perspective and insider knowledge of the D.C. landscape makes them uniquely suited to fill that role and maximize return on investment for their clients.”

Rochlin is Founder and CEO of IMPACT ROI, a consultancy focused on helping organizations achieve superior social, environmental, and financial performance. As the lead author of the acclaimed Project ROI research series, Rochlin pioneered a proven pathway for companies to deliver sustainable and collaborative impact that is also profitable.

“We are thrilled to have Steve and IMPACT ROI working with us,” said Singleton. “As a leading voice in the CR and sustainability space, his expertise will provide a unique and welcome perspective as we work with clients to incorporate social impact into their public affairs strategies.”

The launch of ROKK’s Social Impact Communications practice last month follows the strategic expansion of the firm over the past 2 years, which has resulted in double digit growth and a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities designed to take on some of the toughest public affairs challenges in the marketplace today.  For more information, please visit rokksolutions.com/our-services/sic/.

GROKK is a unique program that offers a customized communications strategy to effectively manage security incidents

Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, announced today the launch of a new program designed to proactively prepare companies for security incidents and navigate the process of communicating a breach or incident response should one arise.

GROKK will be led by Vice President Kaylin Trychon, who prior to joining ROKK helped build the cybersecurity brand at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services.  The program is not only a play on the company’s name, but on the term grok, which means to understand something intuitively or by empathy.

“Last spring, companies were left scrambling to put safe and secure technology systems in place as millions of employees quickly began working from home,” said Trychon. “And now we’re seeing an uptick in breaches, as hackers are finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in those systems. We created GROKK to help companies get ahead of breach communications, by proactively bringing together stakeholders across their organizations to develop a plan for when security incidents happen.”

Trychon says too often organizations are forced into a reactive posture when a security incident is made public, when they should have had a proactive communications plan in place and relationships with reporters already established.

“Companies have historically seen share prices fall after a breach, and a lot of that has to do with the way the public and the press perceive the company’s response,” she said. A proactive approach to breach communications starts well before a breach ever occurs, with the company establishing itself as a responsive and responsible steward of data.”

The launch of the GROKK program follows the strategic expansion of ROKK Solutions over the past 24 months, which is focused on delivering expanded strategic offerings for clients in the fast-moving public affairs space. “Cybersecurity is a key topic in Washington, and a strong strategy for managing security breach communications inevitably includes a public affairs focus. This is a unique offering that complements a well-rounded response strategy for breaches, and we are thrilled to have Kaylin leading this for our clients,” said co-founder and partner Ron Bonjean.

Trychon was named one of PR News’ 2019 Rising PR Stars and is a frequent contributor to Forbes.  For more information on the GROKK program, please visit rokksolutions.com/our-services/grokk/.

Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, welcomes two new Account Executives to the firm and promoted another from within.

• Sammie Yeager– Yeager joined ROKK in January 2020 as an Associate Account Executive, bringing experience from Capitol Hill and the nonprofit sector. A graduate of University of Southern California, Yeager has quickly proved to be an indispensable asset to clients and team members alike.
• Bryce Bozadjian- Bozadjian, who most recently worked with Gabriel Marketing Group, brings a strong background in traditional public relations and content marketing for high-growth B2B technology companies. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from Arizona State University, where she majored in journalism and mass communications.
• Tanika Pradhan- Pradhan focuses on social impact communications as part of ROKK’s new practice area led by Lindsay Singleton. Prior to joining ROKK, Pradhan worked for Weber Shandwick on their Social Impact and Analytics teams. She also holds a Master’s degree in communications, culture & technology from Georgetown University.

“We are pleased to welcome and celebrate these stand-out associates.  At a time when so many firms are scaling back, we are fortunate that we can continue to promote and bring in the best talent to solve our clients’ toughest challenges,” said Co-founder and Partner Rodell Mollineau.

About ROKK Solutions

ROKK Solutions is a full-service, bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications. Having spent years counseling companies, trade associations, coalitions and non-profits, our team possesses decades of senior-level public service experience, which allows us to offer our clients a true understanding of the policymaking process and the media strategies needed to create a climate for success. And unlike many other firms, we bring a bipartisan approach to each client engagement because our experience shows it is the most effective way to ensure a clients’ objectives are achieved. 

For more information on ROKK Solutions, please contact Ryan Hughes at ryan@rokksolutions.com.

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Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, announced today that Kristen Hawn will join founding partners Ron Bonjean and Rodell Mollineau as a partner at the firm.

Hawn, who has been working with ROKK since 2018 as a senior advisor, complements the firm’s existing leadership with experience leading communications efforts on Capitol Hill and on political campaigns, as well as in the private sector for coalitions, non-profit organizations and Fortune 500 companies.

“The team at ROKK Solutions is second to none, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work that we have done together over the past two years,” said Hawn.  “I’m thrilled to be joining Ron and Rodell in leading the firm as it continues to grow and take on our client’s toughest public affairs challenges.”

Prior to her relationship with ROKK, Hawn spent much of her 20-year career working in the center-left space advising Democratic members of Congress and House candidates and has a keen understanding of the current political landscape. For over five years, she served as the communications director and a political advisor for the Blue Dog Coalition, reporting directly to over 50 moderate Members of the United States House of Representatives and serving as senior advisor and spokesperson tasked with communicating the group’s priorities to all local, national and international media.

Bonjean noted that Hawn’s background and experience is essential for the growing bipartisan agency.  “ROKK was founded on the principle that the best counsel comes from bringing together diverse experiences and points of view, and Kristen has a unique perspective through her experience and many relationships on Capitol Hill that are valuable for our clients and their business goals.”

Hawn’s joining the firm follows ROKK’s strategic expansion over the past 24 months, which has resulted in double digit growth and a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities designed to service the evolving needs of clients in the public affairs marketplace.

“Kristen has been an indispensable asset to this firm and I’m glad to not only call her my friend, but a partner as well,” said Mollineau. “She is the perfect fit to complement our leadership team as we continue to grow and diversify our offerings as a firm.”

New offer pioneers connection of policymakers with corporate social impact efforts

Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, announced the launch of a new practice area in Social Impact Communications, led by Managing Director Lindsay Singleton.  This new effort will assist organizations in amplifying their social impact efforts and messaging specifically with policymakers.

Singleton, who has been with the firm since 2018, has led successful corporate social responsibility (CSR) communications campaigns at ROKK with clients including International Franchise Association, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Civic Responsibility Project.

“Social impact communications is a key part of a long-term public affairs strategy, and one that many businesses overlook,” said Singleton.  “By engaging advocates from different areas of the community, including investors and corporate boards as well as media, policy makers and customers, businesses can build long-lasting relationships with their communities and on Capitol Hill.”

“While many agencies offer corporate responsibility programs focused on customers, few offer strategic communications solutions focused on policymakers,” said ROKK Solutions Co-Founder and Partner Rodell Mollineau. “During an election year, businesses look for ways to build relationships with new government officials, but in reality, building the business’ reputation should be done authentically over time, and not just when new faces come to town.”

Prior to joining ROKK Solutions, Singleton consulted for Fortune 200 companies on their corporate social responsibility efforts, spearheading human rights and sustainability partnerships between multinational corporations and NGOs.  She currently sits on the board of the Civic Responsibility Project, where she lends her expertise to businesses initiating voter participation campaigns.

The launch of the Social Impact Communications practice follows the strategic expansion of ROKK Solutions over the past 24 months, which has resulted in double digit growth and a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities designed to take on some of the toughest public affairs challenges in the marketplace today.

For more information on this practice, click here.

Washington, D.C. – ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy and politics, is pleased to announce the promotion of Lindsay Singleton to the newly created role of Managing Director.

Singleton joined ROKK in 2018 as a Senior Vice President, taking on a significant role in the day-to-day management and expansion of the firm.  With Singleton’s support, ROKK’s strategic expansion over the past 24 months has resulted in double digit growth and a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities across areas including but not limited to paid media, digital strategy, campaign development, cybersecurity, and corporate social responsibility.

“Lindsay has been indispensable to the firm’s growth over the past two years,” said co-founder and partner Rodell Mollineau.  “From finding and retaining top talent to expanding the capabilities we deliver on to meet changing client needs, Lindsay is the perfect leader to continue to grow our culture and our agency.”

In her new role, Singleton will assume responsibility at the highest level for client relationships and account management within the agency, ensuring best in class strategy as well as building internal infrastructure as the firm continues to grow and diversify its offerings.

“Lindsay is a sought-after mind for our clients, bringing fresh perspective and proactive strategy to every business challenge,” said co-founder and partner Ron Bonjean.  “She motivates our teams to give 110% every day for our clients, and our account teams will continue to flourish and exceed expectations under her leadership.”

Lindsay’s career has spanned over fifteen years of international government and private sector communications roles, including six years as a foreign service officer serving throughout Latin America and successive responsibilities in the private sector as an expert on Corporate Social Responsibility. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University and is fluent in Spanish and Italian and proficient in Russian.