John sees with a reporter’s eyes, makes the complex simple and keenly understands the intersections between business, politics and media. He’s been a storyteller his entire life and has a file cabinet full of them at his parents’ house to prove it.

As a ROKK Senior Vice President, John plays multiple metaphorical roles as he leads the strategy and implementation of 360° public affairs campaigns. He’s a translator, helping organizations explain their priorities and initiatives to target audiences. He’s an editor, determining what voices need to be included in the story or telling it. Finally, he’s a train conductor, ensuring the right deliverables get to the right place at the right time.

Before ROKK, John rose through the D.C. journalism ranks to become a Capitol Hill producer for Fox News. Next, he led a communications team that helped establish George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management as a go-to source for journalists looking for insights on political strategy. Next came an MBA and a stint at the Public Affairs Council, where he served as a subject matter expert on policy communications and corporate social responsibility, leading workshops on media training, persuasive writing and visual storytelling. 

Annie spent more than a decade working on Capitol Hill. Most recently, she was the Communications Director for Senator Susan Collins (R–ME) and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Annie also served as the Campaign Communications Director for Senator Collins’ successful 2020 reelection bid. 

In 2024, she was named one of 25 staffers who make Capitol Hill run by the Hill Newspaper. The Hill’s reporting noted that Annie “has been battle-tested in a way that few have been on Capitol Hill.”

Designing effective strategies to win over audiences with diverse views is nothing new for John. Such work has animated his career, in which he spent 15 years leading communications for some of Washington’s most high-profile red-state Democratic Senators.

John arrived in the DC area with plans to become a music teacher. But a nagging interest in politics found him interning in the Senate when the 2006 midterm election brought several new Senators to Washington. After some trays of brownies delivered to Senate transition offices helped him land his first job, John has served as a senior communications advisor on every significant Congressional debate over the past decade—from national legislative initiatives to Supreme Court nominations—for Senators Jon Tester of Montana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

John led communications campaigns on issues ranging from McCaskill’s work with the Pentagon reforming wartime contracting and with college campuses curbing sexual violence, to her national book tour and role as a leading presidential surrogate. On her campaign, John directly managed and synthesized press, digital, and research operations, helped develop paid media strategies, and served as a liaison with key political operatives and surrogates.

John joined Sinema’s senior team shortly after her historic Senate win, setting up her communications and digital operations, and leading communications around her work on banking, aviation, telecommunications, and health care issues—as well as her successful leadership of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law.

Lisa is a seasoned communications leader with over twenty years of experience in public affairs, having held key roles in government, political and advocacy organizations and currently hosts her own podcast, “The Friday Reporter.”

Her vast experience allows her to understand the unique challenges of each client and develop tailored solutions. From crisis communications to media strategy, Lisa’s proven track record includes managing high-stakes initiatives, directing nationwide outreach programs and shaping public opinion. She combines her deep knowledge of the public policy landscape with her ability to execute campaigns that resonate with key audiences and deliver measurable results.

She served as deputy communications director for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Speaker of the House, led media affairs for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity and headed communications for the Republican National Committee. She also played a key role in New Jersey’s recovery efforts following 9/11 and directed statewide political outreach during the historic 2000 election cycle.

Kristen is a public affairs strategist with experience over more than two decades working with and for large trade associations, Fortune 100 companies, and at the highest levels of government.

As a ROKK Senior Vice President, Kristen partners with clients to develop public affairs and strategic communications programs that advance both policy and business objectives. With an audience-first mindset, she helps clients develop targeted campaigns that influence policy discussions and earn clients a seat at the decision-making table.

Kristen’s original intention to apply to law school was disrupted by her post-college move to D.C. and quick immersion into the world of policy and political communications. After several years with influential trade associations like American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Kristen served in the Office of the Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as a Speechwriter at the U.S. Department of Energy during the George W. Bush Administration. She then went on to corporate public affairs roles at Aetna and Caterpillar, where she led policy communications and helped drive enterprise-wide corporate reputation campaigns. She most recently served as SVP, Head of Health Public Affairs and Policy Communications at Edelman Global Advisory.

Mike Waterman came to Washington (like too many of us do!) as an unpaid intern for his hometown Representative. Five short years later, he had the honor to be named Press Secretary for the esteemed Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. During this time he learned the most critical lesson that continues to be deployed in his work today: your enemy today could be your ally tomorrow – so adjust accordingly.

After this time in the Senate, Mike began advising and consulting for major companies on a range of public affairs matters, corporate positioning, reputational goals and issue campaigns in New York City and in D.C. Over the past decade, Mike leveraged these skills to expand his reach and influence as a leader in corporate and technology issues at Burson-Marsteller (known today as Burson Cohn and Wolfe) building relationships with colleagues and advising clients in Brussels, Beijing, Singapore and Seoul.

Kristin starts her job by posing the same question every child asks of their parents: Tell me a story. A veteran journalist and television news producer, Kristin has spent her career telling people not only what they need to know, but why they need to know it. And with 28 years covering the nation’s capital, the nation’s Capitol and across 49 states – still looking at you, Alaska – she has been telling America what their leaders are doing in D.C., while making sure those same leaders know what the American people need from them.

As Senior Vice President at ROKK, Kristin is a fixer. She’ll take the often complex, sometimes confusing and, when it comes to Congress, typically arcane language and translate it all into a simple, easy-to-understand story. And she’s a seer. She can tell you what motivates a newsroom, what makes them want your story and how she can deliver it.

Kristin has spent the past 13 years serving as the Supervising Producer for CNN, the last seven running the network’s coverage of Capitol Hill and Congress. She’s covered political campaigns, presidential elections, national tragedies, environmental disasters, wars, and told thousands of stories of everyday Americans that, together, form the rich tapestry of the country.

Rebecca is an award-winning veteran of the public affairs landscape and has created national paid media programs for some of the largest brands in America. From local ballot measures and coalitions to presidential campaigns and Fortune 100 brands, Rebecca has been a strategic thought partner for clients facing their biggest challenges in Washington. As an alumna of some of the most influential agencies in DC, she has worked with clients in a variety of industries including tech, health and energy to name a few.

She uses her experience to develop sophisticated, omni-channel media strategies to help her clients achieve their goals. With a keen eye for audience segmentation and platform testing, Rebecca is constantly looking for new ways to push the boundaries of the paid media industry.

Justine is a communications professional with over a decade of agency experience leading integrated communications campaigns and programs. She has been called an “organizational engine” by her clients stemming from her ability to effectively manage and navigate the complexities of large accounts. Her work in public affairs, communications, crisis management, media relations and strategic planning has helped make her a trusted advisor to clients across industries and fields, including: Fortune 100 clients, nonprofits, government agencies, and even a presidential library.

Whether it’s developing comprehensive communication strategies, crafting compelling messaging, building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, managing media relations, coordinating events or handling crisis situations, her extensive skill set allows her to navigate complex landscapes with ease, the ability to address diverse challenges and seize opportunities.

Mary is a dynamic communications professional with deep experience in government, political campaigns, and academia who knows how to navigate the complex world of Capitol Hill. As Vice President at ROKK, she leverages her nearly decades-long communications experience as a senior staffer in the House of Representatives to advance even the most complex communications challenges for her clients.

She most recently served as Senior Advisor and Communications Director to Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), managing a robust communications strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic when Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She previously served as Communications Director for Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) where she elevated his national profile as a leader on science policy.

Mary’s passion for communications is rooted in her background as a historian. Mary holds a B.A. in history from the University of North Carolina and later completed a Ph.D. at Indiana University where she lived in Europe as a Fulbright Scholar.