ROKK Solutions Welcomes Veteran Capitol Hill Journalist Cristina Marcos to Growing Team of Public Affairs Strategists

Well Respected Congressional  Reporter for The Hill Adds Extensive Media and 

Legislative Expertise to Bipartisan Firm 

Washington, D.C. –ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications, is pleased to welcome veteran congressional journalist Cristina Marcos to its team as a Senior Account Director.

A well-known presence to lawmakers and staff, Marcos reported on Congress over the span of 11 years. She spent most of that time covering the House of Representatives for The Hill, chronicling some of the most seismic moments in modern political history. Over the course of her career, Marcos developed a detailed understanding of the congressional process and the ability to explain complex policy issues to mass audiences.  She has a firm grasp on the intricacies of congressional leadership politics and the motivations of rank and file Democrats and Republicans. 

In addition to her time at The Hill, Marcos worked for CQ Roll Call and MSNBC’s daily edition of “Meet the Press.”

“Cristina’s extensive experience and perspective as a journalist will be a tremendous asset to our clients who look to our team for guidance on how best to communicate their stories in Washington and around the country,” said Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean. 

“ROKK has established itself as a premier firm for organizations seeking counsel to advance their priorities across the political spectrum,” Marcos said. “After chronicling the legislative process for a decade as a journalist, I’m excited to help ROKK’s clients tell their stories and influence policy.”

Marcos’ addition to ROKK cements its position as a bipartisan firm that offers clients a unique perspective from both sides of the aisle. She is also the fifth journalist to join the firm’s ranks – an additional boon to clients trying to understand how best to engage with media in today’s 24 hour news cycle. 

ROKK has undergone a strategic expansion over the past three years which has resulted in triple-digit growth and a variety of professional accolades including: PRovoke Agency of the Year finalist, The Reeds Agency of the Year finalist, SABRE awards finalists, inclusion in the Agency Elite 100 list, a Platinum dotCOMM award, an Innovation SABRE award, and most recently an Hermes Gold award. With a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities including digital and paid media and a creative studio, ROKK is a sought-after agency for Fortune 100 organizations, nonprofits and associations looking to create change in Washington.

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Democrats on Capitol Hill, fearing a deluge of migrants at the southern border this summer, are pressuring President Biden to back off his decision to lift the Trump-era Title 42 order next month. Senior Vice President John LaBombard discusses why vulnerable Democrats, especially those up for re-election in the 2022 Midterm elections, are scrambling to distance themselves from Biden’s Title 42 decision and demanding the administration delay action until it has a plan for dealing with a summer migrant surge. Read the article here.

In conversations with more than a dozen people involved with the Build Back Better legislation, conflicting theories emerged about who is responsible for President Joe Biden’s lost legislative agenda. The enduring tension looms over quiet discussions between the White House and congressional Democrats on a dramatically scaled-back bill, with finger-pointing about who’s to blame for the failure of the larger bill amid uncertainty about what, if anything, might actually pass ahead of November’s midterm elections. Senior Vice President John LaBombard discusses the risks involved for Democrats in the mismatch between “sky-high” expectations and narrow margins. Read the article here.

Democrats say they’ve done a lousy job at highlighting their accomplishments in a year plus of unified power in Washington, and are blaming this on the possibility they will suffer major losses in November’s midterm elections.  Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau shares his perspective in this article from The Hill. Read the article here.

You know the lawmakers you need to reach. Outreach has begun. But who do they trust for advice and perspective? And how do you reach those people with your messages as well? Reaching your target audience through earned media is important. But influencing can happen on several levels. To truly break through the clutter, and reach a wider audience, you need to pair hardworking earned media strategies with paid media. Our latest video tells you why.

Republicans are pouncing on the Biden administration’s recent decision to scrap a Trump-era pandemic border policy, launching a multi-pronged attack against Democrats in Congress, in the courts and on the campaign trail. Republicans’ national campaign arms, as part of their strategy to take back the House and Senate in November’s midterms, have signaled a new push to highlight the policy in their outreach to voters, particularly in swing states and districts near the U.S.-Mexico border. Senior Vice President John LaBombard discusses how the lack of policy details is causing big political challenges for the Democratic party. Read the article here.

The Back Booth, a weekend edition of The D.C. Brief, is TIME’s politics newsletter. Each week it hosts a conversation between political professionals on the right and the left, pulling back the curtain on the conversations taking place in Washington when the tape stops rolling. This week Partner Kristen Hawn sat down with journalist Philip Elliott and Republican consultant Matt Beynon. Read the piece here.

Senate Democrats are bracing for a surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in the wake of President Biden’s decision to rescind Title 42, a key restriction, creating yet another political headwind for Democratic candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. ROKK Senior Vice President, a former aide to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, John LaBombard shares his thoughts on why vulnerable and centrist Democrats are scrambling to distance themselves from President Biden’s decision-read the article here.

Washington, D.C. –ROKK Solutions, a bipartisan public affairs firm at the nexus of policy, politics and communications, is pleased to announce that it has been recognized for its best-in-class work in the 2022 SABRE Awards North America. ROKK has been named as a finalist in the categories of PR Agency Marketing and Telecommunications, as well as Public Affairs Agency of the Year.  

In the Telecommunications category, ROKK has been selected for its integrated communications campaign with the Digital Divide Coalition, which leveraged a strong creative, paid and digital media strategy to influence the policies in President Biden’s infrastructure package.

ROKK has also been recognized for the rebranding of the agency itself, which was launched by The Studio, ROKK’s in-house creative team.

The SABRE Awards, hosted by Provoke Media, recognizes superior achievement in branding reputation and engagement and include around 350 campaigns on its finalist shortlist, selected from among more than 2,000 entries.  

Winners will be unveiled at the North American SABRE Awards ceremony, which will take place on Wednesday, May 4 at Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC. For a complete list of finalists click here. 

ROKK has undergone a strategic expansion over the past three years which has resulted in triple-digit growth and a variety of professional accolades aside from the SABRE Awards including: the Agency Elite 100 list, a Platinum dotCOMM award and recognition from PR News Platinum Awards and The Reed Awards. With a 360-degree integrated suite of capabilities including digital and paid media and a creative studio, ROKK is a sought-after agency for Fortune 100 organizations, nonprofits and associations looking to create change in Washington.