Meet the Team

Gretchen Andersen has extensive media relations experience with local and national press throughout her time in Manhattan, Washington, DC and Las Vegas. For four years, Gretchen worked on Capitol Hill as a press secretary in both the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Most recently she served as press secretary for U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) including work on his re-election campaign. Prior to her time in the U.S. Senate, Gretchen was an official spokesperson for two Republican members of Congress, including U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL). Gretchen got her start in public relations while working in New York City as a press secretary for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a national non-profit focused on improving the lives of post-9/11 veterans. Gretchen is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

Michael Dubke is a veteran GOP operative and has been involved in local, state and federal politics, as well as issue and public policy advocacy since 1992. His experience has brought him a unique understanding of the relationship between media strategy and public policy development.

Mike recently served as Assistant to the President for Communications in the White House. In that capacity, he oversaw a communications department that coordinated Congressional and Cabinet communications, Digital Strategy, Media Affairs, Production, Strategic communications as well and Surrogate operations.

In 2009, Mike was a Founding Partner at the Black Rock Group (BRG). At BRG, Mike has helped plan and lead successful communications and advocacy efforts in a variety of industries including energy, technology, transportation, financial services, restaurant and retail. In the non-profit realm, Mike has worked to promote digital security, eradicate child sex-trafficking, foster international dialogue and keep kids safe online.

In 2001, Mike founded a group of media services firms (Main Street Media Group, Crossroads Media and Herd Media) that have collectively placed almost $1 billion dollars of media for clients. The firms specialize in advertising strategy and placement for political candidates, issue advocacy organizations and trade associations. The media group has established itself as one of the go-to firms on the national scene for both political candidates and corporations.

Mike also served as President of Americans for Job Security (AJS), a pioneer independent expenditure organization that provided direct advocacy for citizens to public policy makers. Prior to co-founding AJS, he held the position of Executive Director for both the Ripon Society and the Ripon Educational Fund, where he oversaw the growth of the TransAtlantic Conference and the re-emergence of the Ripon Society as a participant in national politics. Mike began his career on the Bush/Quayle ’92 campaign as assistant to the Political Director.

Mike currently serves on the board of the Franklin Center for Public Policy Exchange and the Ripon Society. He is a graduate of Hamilton College and resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife Shannon and their two children.

Carl Forti has nearly 20 years of experience in politics, campaign strategy, media relations and public affairs. He is a seasoned political operative, having served in leadership positions at advocacy organizations, a presidential campaign and four election cycles at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

Carl has been described as “one of the smartest people in politics you’ve never heard of” by Karl Rove and “the Alexander the Great of the Republican independent expenditure world.”

Carl develops campaign strategies for the nation’s most successful issue advocacy groups, third-party organizations and SuperPACs. Previously, Carl was Executive Vice President for Issue Advocacy at Freedom’s Watch, an organization that was a strong voice for conservatives and impacted the public policy debate at local and national levels.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Carl served as Deputy Campaign Manager and Political Director for Romney for President, where he built and managed the national political operation that produced 11 primary or caucus victories.

Carl also has extensive experience on Capitol Hill. He served in numerous capacities at the National Republican Congressional Committee, including Communications Director and Issue Advocacy Director, where he managed an $80 million independent expenditure campaign.

Originally from Western New York and a graduate of the George Washington University, Carl resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife Sandy and their three children.

Trevor previously worked as a Government Affairs Associate for the American Planning Association in Washington, D.C. Trevor is an alumnus of James Madison University where he earned his BA in both Political Science and Public Policy/Administration. While obtaining his undergraduate degree, Trevor interned with Rep. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) and Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-01). After graduation, Trevor worked for the John Adams for Virginia Attorney General campaign and the American Family Association campaign in North Carolina before moving to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Shauna brings over 15 years of experience in business operations, political campaign management, team development, and investigative research to the team. Her previous work includes directing the operations of award-winning restaurants in the Boston area and leading a statewide ballot initiative in her home state of Massachusetts.

Shauna is also the principal owner of a firm specializing in open-source investigations for companies and organizations. She is based in Boston, MA.

Polly has worked in sports management for adult social sports leagues, where she ran tournaments, league operations, and supported the Volo Kids Foundation through various fundraising efforts.

Polly graduated from Portland State University and holds a B.S. in Applied Health and Fitness. She is based in Washington, DC.

Liz served as the Paralegal for Government Accountability Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports and defends whistleblowers. During her tenure, she worked to bolster the litigation and legislative department’s communication initiative, focusing on both client and congressional outreach. Additionally, she drafted legislation aimed at furthering protections for whistleblowers’ rights. Over the course of her career, Liz has worked largely in litigation with a focus on Intellectual Property.

Liz is an alumna of Boston College and holds a B.A. in Political Science, with a concentration in Middle Eastern studies.  A former Bostonian, she currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Brian has a proven track record of creating and managing successful public affairs and public relations campaigns for some of the country’s most innovative companies, top-tier associations, influential coalitions and national political candidates. In addition, he has worked with a number of national and local nonprofit organizations.

Over the past two decades, Brian has helped lead effective communications and advocacy efforts in a variety of industries including technology, transportation, healthcare, clean energy, financial services and retail. In the nonprofit realm he has worked in support of marriage equality, early childhood education, eradicating child sex-trafficking and keeping kids safe online.

Brian has also been active in the world of electoral politics, serving in senior roles for the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Chris Christie.

Brian currently serves on the board of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. He earned his MA from the University of Washington in Seattle and BA from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Brian lives in Alexandria, VA, with his wife Emily and their two children.

Chris Maloney’s political, policy and communications experience spans two decades in public affairs. As a Partner at Potomac West Group, he works as a trusted advisor and strategist to a range of political, business and international nonprofit leaders on public policy and communications.

Chris has also served as a general consultant on numerous successful issue advocacy efforts and political campaigns, including Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski’s bids for U.S. Senate in Alaska, the historic Bristol Bay Forever Initiative, and U.S. House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney’s campaigns for Congress in Wyoming. Before joining the team, Chris served as a Communications Director for Mitt Romney, leading his presidential campaign’s battleground press operations, research and rapid response in the Midwest. His career also includes senior staff roles in U.S. House Leadership, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Ohio Republican Party.

Chris has been nationally recognized as a Campaigns & Elections Magazine Rising Star and was named to the American Association of Political Consultants’ “40 Under 40” list in 2018. Chris earned a B.A. in Public Policy from George Washington University, a M.P.S. in Communications from Georgetown University, and a M.P.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University. He resides in Virginia with his wife and son.

Kerrianne was a Communications Strategist for Democracy Forward, a non-profit public interest organization where she worked to expand their digital and social media programs. She implemented frameworks for digital editorial engagement via web and email as well as establishing social media series and design.

Prior to her role at Democracy Forward, Kerrianne was a Digital Associate for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during the 2020 cycle and 2021 Georgia runoff. Kerrianne worked on writing and producing fundraising emails and assisted the digital team on social media and advertisements.

Kerrianne graduated from Emmanuel College in Boston Massachusetts with a B.A. in Political Communications and a minor in American Studies. Kerrianne is a native to and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Charlotte McCoy has a successful record of running media relations and public affairs campaigns for Fortune 100 companies, multi-stakeholder coalitions, trade associations and international governments. With deep policy communications experience, her work includes technology, transportation and healthcare issues. She previously worked at CLS Strategies executing comprehensive communications plans for technology, trade and litigation clients. Charlotte worked with clients to develop effective messaging, lead media outreach, and generate savvy digital and social media initiatives. Earlier in her career, she also educated federal policymakers on adoption and foster care issues. A New Jersey native, Charlotte graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The George Washington University with a degree in international affairs.

Meghan served as a public relations intern with National Geographic where she worked with the public relations team for the National Geographic Channel supporting talent and administrative needs. She also worked with the event planning staff over the course of her internship.

Meghan holds a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Mass Media, and a minor in Political Science from Merrimack College. She is from Alexandria, VA, and is now based in Maryland.

The Honorable Michael P. Meehan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Squared Communications, a strategic communications, public relations, and political consulting firm he founded in 2007. He is also a Founding Partner of the Potomac West Group, a bipartisan public affairs firm practice. Michael counsels a diverse range of clients, including elected officials, major media outlets, national and regional coalitions, trade associations, foundations, issue advocacy organizations (with a deep focus on environmental, climate, and clean energy interests), and companies ranging from Fortune 100 business leaders to entrepreneurial startups.

The New York Times described Mr. Meehan as a strategic operative who “specializes in adversarial situations.” Mr. Meehan has been at the epicenter of communications, politics, and policy for over three decades, solving complex problems and guiding clients as they navigate crucial strategic challenges.

A veteran of Capitol Hill, Mr. Meehan has held numerous top leadership staff posts in both chambers of Congress. He was the first chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He remains a top advisor to Sen. Cantwell, managing her political operations. He has also served as communications chief for several former U.S. Senators, including Fmr. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)—who currently serves as President Joe Biden’s Climate Envoy and was Secretary of State to Fmr. President Barack Obama—and Fmr. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Mr. Meehan has directly advised high-level Democratic Party leadership—he was the National Political Director for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), has served as Senior Counselor to the Democratic National Committee, and has held top political and communications posts at the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

As a testament to Mr. Meehan’s ability to find consensus and generate progress, both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush nominated him to serve as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), now the U.S. Agency for Global Media. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, sworn into office by then-Vice President Biden in 2010 and served as a BBG Governor in the Obama-Biden Administration (2010-2015). There he oversaw the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and was Chairman of the Board of the Middle East Broadcasting Network and Radio Free Asia. He also chaired the Budget and Strategy Committee with an annual budget of over $750 million. The five media companies he oversaw and the Open Technology Fund reached a weekly average of more than 270 million audience members in 100 countries, representing 61 languages and promoting the free flow of news and information in the area of public diplomacy.

Mr. Meehan’s media training, expertise with multiple communications platforms, and extensive work in U.S. politics create a unique skill set in the field. He has worked with C-suite executives preparing for IPOs and financing rounds, executed crisis communications strategies, and led complex communications efforts for leading policy advocacy organizations and trade associations. As an expert in strategic communications, media relations, messaging, polling and election politics, Mr. Meehan is well positioned to build targeted, tailored public relations campaigns that achieve ambitious policy and media goals. Over the past 15 years, he has expanded Squared Communications’ strategic reach, with operations in Washington, DC, Alexandria, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Boston, New York and a strategic partnership with UK-based Luther Pendragon in London and Brussels.

Mr. Meehan currently serves on several not-for-profit boards, including the anti-poverty Golden State Opportunity board. He holds a degree in political science and education from Maine’s Bates College. As an expert on the intersection of media, communications and politics, Mr. Meehan is an analyst in national media and television news programs and served as a guest lecturer at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, American University, UCLA, Stanford and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He lives in Del Ray, Alexandria, VA with his wife and teenaged daughters.