Our team

Owen grew up in Bethesda, MD before attending Penn State, where he majored in Economics. After graduating in 2013, he moved to Washington, DC, where he has lived and work since then. He worked in the finance department of a USAID-funded international health non-profit before spending the 2016 campaign season in Miami, Florida as a Field Organizer. After returning to DC, he worked for the Urban Land Institute, conducting market research and economic forecasting. He joined Pivot in 2020 as an Accountant, and is happy to be part of such a great team!

Meghan began her career knocking doors in her home state of Alaska for the Obama campaign (pre-Sarah Palin announcement). Today, Meghan calls Portland, Oregon home where she managed Tina Kotek’s successful gubernatorial campaign, helping elect her as the first openly lesbian Governor in the country. Previously she helped maintain the Oregon Senate’s supermajority as caucus director and oversaw advocacy campaigns through her work with the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and LCV state affiliates across the country. Outside of work she enjoys relentlessly cheering for the Northwestern Wildcats, triathlons, and playing outside with her dog and husband.

Adrienne brings over 10 years of political experience to The Pivot Group. She most recently served as the Director of Defend Our Future, an initiative of the Environmental Defense Fund to engage young people in the fight against climate change. Prior to joining Defend, Adrienne served on the Democratic Convention Contract Negotiating team that selected Philadelphia at the host city for the 2016 Democratic National Convention and as the Deputy Director for Voter Expansion at the Democratic National Committee. She also served as the Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs at the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Midwest Regional Political Director at the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Deputy Director of Member Communications at the AFL-CIO. Adrienne was a member of the record-setting finance team of the 2008 Obama for America campaign and served in the Obama Administration as a Congressional Relations Liaison at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Women’s Studies.

Lyndsey joined Pivot just after the 2018 cycle as a member of the team that managed successful social pressure programs targeting millions of voters from Alaska to Florida and 30 states in-between as well as the implementation of experiment-informed programs to test new methods of persuading and mobilizing voters. Prior to joining Pivot, Lyndsey worked with End Citizens United to flip the House and elect champions for reform in both chambers. Originally from the sunny beaches of St. Petersburg Florida, Lyndsey looks forward to any opportunity to relax by the water.

Bridget brings over 20 years of experience as a government affairs leader with proven success building policy, advocacy, and political strategies for mission-driven organizations. Bridget builds scalable advocacy programs including legislative campaigns, ballot initiatives, candidate, and independent expenditure campaigns. Her talent is bringing together executive decision-makers and stakeholders to find consensus. Leaders both corporate and government value Bridget’s ability to design operations that promote enthusiastic, high-performing teams. Bridget lived in Washington, D.C. for 16 years before moving to Northern California. And even though she lives in Humboldt County she does not believe in bigfoot, but she spends her free time hiking through the redwoods and climbing the mountains in pursuit of something magical. It’s important to keep it real.

Marie joined Pivot in 2018 after having worked in field, polling, targeting and direct mail. She has managed enormous amounts of data and big personalities. Marie has spent so much time and sweat on Florida elections that she’s almost on a first name basis with all 67 Supervisors of Election. She has a soft spot for red to blue races that can take her near Carolina Style BBQ.

With 24 years of production experience, Sarah is a renowned expert on print and postage; her innovation is so widely recognized, other progressive mail firms often come to her for advice. She has experience in fundraising, voter registration, and political persuasion mail. At Pivot, she makes sure our pieces hit mailboxes on time, no matter how often the USPS regulations change (which, as she will tell you, is often). Sarah works from her home base in upstate New York.

Michele began her career in the early ’90s, starting at the bottom of a small, high-quality printing company in Phoenix, Arizona. She has almost three decades of experience in printing, graphic design, art direction, production, and project management, and has coordinated millions of pieces of political mail since her start at MSHC in 2002. After a stint at The Campaign Workshop, she joined Pivot, where she now supports production for local, regional, and national campaigns. Outside of work, she’s active in politics in her home state; in 2016 she served as treasurer for a successful campaign for Arizona’s water conservation board.

An immigrant from El Salvador, Nelson’s immigrant experience has strongly influenced his passion for progressive politics. From a young age, he followed political campaigns because he understood that election outcomes shape public policy. In both high school and college, Nelson volunteered with Democratic campaigns through door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, and voter registration drives. While in college, Nelson worked on a number of issue advocacy campaigns to enact equitable policy changes. Some of these issue campaigns included providing equitable access to higher education to formerly incarcerated individuals as well as providing more financial resources to undocumented students. Nelson’s experiences with issue advocacy campaigns have provided him with a strong foundation to support Pivot and its clients. He graduated from Stetson University with a BA in English and political science. In his spare time, Nelson enjoys spending time with his cats, watching the latest Marvel movie, and going to the theme parks in Orlando. He joined Pivot in 2022.

Trish is recognized as one of the top Democratic direct mail consultants in the country. With more than 25 years of experience in politics and grassroots campaigns, Trish brings an extensive background in strategic communications, media relations, and grassroots organizing to Pivot’s full-service approach. Her past campaign clients include Hillary For America; Senators Ted Kennedy (MA) and Mark Warner (VA); and Governors Jennifer Granholm (MI) and Tom Vilsack (IA); she’s also served as a consultant for the AFL-CIO, EMILY’s List, and Planned Parenthood. An avid foodie, Trish’s not-so-secret dream is to open a comfort food restaurant.

Natalie’s career began at age 17 on the Clinton-Gore campaign. Today she runs Pivot’s “Best Coast” operation in her native California, where she specializes in tough red-to-blue fights for leaders including Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-09). She helped the Oregon House Democratic Caucus win and hold its majority, making Tina Kotek the first lesbian Speaker of any U.S. legislative body. And she’s a passionate supporter of women in office, working with EMILY’s List both as a consultant and a mentor for female candidates. When she’s not working, you can find Natalie drinking good bourbon, running, or spending time with her twin toddlers and husband.

Before joining Pivot, Chase worked in local government designing emergency response plans. She also spent a few years aboard a research boat collecting data on water quality in the Finger Lakes and leading biology workshops for students. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Art. On the weekends, you can catch Chase playing board games, hiking, and slowly eating her way through Baltimore.

Dinika is a native Californian and a proud graduate of UC Davis (Go Aggies!) with a degree in political science and economics. She’s previously worked in various spaces, including grassroots organizing, data analysis, and implementing DEIJ initiatives for nonprofits in the political field. Having been a cycle hire for Pivot in 2021-2022, she’s also well-acquainted with the ins-and-outs of social pressure, experiment-informed mail programs, and all things Informed Delivery. In her spare time, you can usually find Dinika hanging out with her family and friends, or playing games on her Switch.

Megan is originally from Illinois and is relatively new to DC /the world of politics! She received a BFA in Graphic design at Western Michigan University (after her mom told her she would be good at it) and she was a member of the WMU Bronco Colorguard. In her free time, she loves exploring DC, watching Marvel movies, and trying to find the best pizza in the city.

Jason has developed winning direct mail and interactive strategies for dozens of campaigns and advocacy organizations; his clients include SEIU, the DCCC, and successful candidates for the Virginia Senate. Jason got his start on the road: He put hundreds of thousands of miles on his car working on Democratic campaigns across the country. And when he’s not on the road, he’s in the air. Over the past decade, Jason has accumulated more than three million frequent-flyer miles—mostly through his obsessive commitment to tracking mileage promotions.

Based in Seattle, Devon brings over five years of campaign and project management experience to Pivot. Driven by her deep commitment to progressive candidates and causes, she started working on campaigns in 2012 with Washington State’s initiative to legalize marriage equality and went on to manage a successful state-wide campaign in 2016. For the last four years, she has served as a project manager at an international non-profit focused on increasing rural women’s access to financial resources by working with government, activists, and NGO stakeholders. Outside of work, Devon enjoys catching sunsets, surfing, and a potpourri of craft projects.

Em brings a decade of design experience to Pivot. Her background is surprisingly varied—she’s done everything from board games to bus wraps—but she’s firmly grounded in the belief that design can be a tool for the greater good. She’s also a talented illustrator, and knows the powerful ways that imagery conveys a message. Em shares a home in Washington, D.C., with her husband and a sassy rescue pug.

An industry leader in data analytics and targeting, Joel is involved in shaping strategy for every Pivot client, making sure that Pivot’s mail goes to the best possible audience, and that an understanding of the audience is fully incorporated into the creative process. Joel is an active member of the Analyst Group, pioneering a range of analytic tools for campaigns and progressive groups and has built microtargeting models for the DNC, Planned Parenthood, the Voter Participation Center, and state parties around the country. He has also designed, executed and analyzed randomized experiments for Pivot clients to refine specific programs and help share best practices in the progressive community.

Vanessa Rolon has over a decade of on-the-ground campaign experience in several battleground states. Between managing state legislative races, building statewide universes, and raising money for candidates, Vanessa is a jack-of-all trade campaign strategist. Prior to joining Pivot, Vanessa was working with different campaigns to manage their paid communication strategies on different mediums including mail, streaming platforms, and social media.

Born and raised in Miami, Vanessa’s is a proud first generation American who’s passion for democracy was instilled at a young age. Vanessa got her first crack at politics registering voters while attending Florida International University. Campaigns have taken Vanessa to different parts of the country, including parts of sunny Florida to Chicago during a polar vortex.

Vanessa currently lives in Washington D.C. with her spouse and their cats, Vaquita la del Barrio and Lion. During her free time, she can be found sorting her baseball card collection, tinkering with her fantasy team lineup, or planning her next trip to watch the New York Yankees play.

Jose is a creative artist/designer that grew up in the border towns of El Paso, TX and Ciudad Juarez, MX. Jose joined the Pivot group during the 2020 election cycle bringing his creative abilities along with his passion for social and political justice to the team. Jose is currently somewhere in Rockville, MD, with his wiener dog looking for the best tacos and salsa in the DMV.

Nick has more than a decade of experience in advertising and design, specializing in direct mail. He’s worked on campaigns for everyone from Coca-Cola to Mitsubishi to Hillary Clinton. At Pivot, Nick is equal parts engine and visionary for our creative department, inspiring our designers and making sure every piece we produce is creative and on-target for the audience. If you can’t catch Nick in our office, you’ll find him spending time with his wife and two adorable daughters at home in Maryland.

Meera joined Pivot in 2020. She’s a “recovering” oppo researcher, starting her career doing research at the DCCC, state parties, and campaigns. In 2018, she worked in the DCCC’s political department, becoming the committee’s first ever “Red Box Director” as they flipped the house. She then shifted gears to managing congressional campaigns, and she is a strong believer that campaigns and organizations should reflect the diversity of the Democratic Party.  Meera lives outside of Boston where you can find her coloring large wall posters and perfecting recipes so she can one day open a food truck.

Emily originally joined Pivot for the cycle in 2014, but loved it so much she came back in 2019 and bringing with her years of political advertising and digital experience. She adds whimsy and innovation to each design with sophistication in message and intent. Emily loves all things sci-fi and fantasy, as well as watching cartoons with her husband and potato cat.”

Garrett began his political career working in Southern Democratic politics — first, working on the campaign of Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin before joining the scrappy team of a handful of recent college graduates on the Doug Jones for Senate campaign. Following that country-saving victory, Garrett took his love for Southern food to the Hill as a body man before transitioning to defense and national security policy. After dabbling in a couple more federal campaigns, Garrett has retired from moving across the country to random campaign HQs and has brought his talents to direct mail.

Ethan is an experienced political professional who joined Pivot in 2018 after spending nearly a decade on the road managing campaigns. During the 2022 cycle, Ethan’s clients included Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the DCCC, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, the North Carolina Democratic Party House Caucus, the Georgia House Democratic Caucus, and a variety of other campaigns and organizations. A talented manager and campaign strategist, Ethan began his career in politics in 2010, and he has managed congressional campaigns in Colorado, Maryland, and Wisconsin and state level campaigns in Missouri and New Jersey.

Melinda first joined Pivot as a cycle hire in 2020 and then again in 2022. Melinda is a Liberal Arts Major and a Photography Minor. A passionately curious person, someone who is constantly evolving, learning, and creating. Her primary background has been in the field of Advertising and Marketing, with over 20 years of experience where her focusing was on creating marketing plans, strategies, and budget proposals, specifically catered to each of her client’s needs. 14 of those years she spent working for Coldwell Banker Realty and Tim Allen, a top Realtor, refining her knowledge and perfecting her skills successfully as evident by sales reaching over $1.8 Billion during her time with Tim Allen, now known as Tim Allen Properties after her re-branding strategies. Over the years, she has had the pleasure of working with many clients in different industries and she enjoys what she does very much. She has joined Pivot full time bringing her skills and background to the Creative Department.

Kara made the leap from the corporate marketing world to politics in 2014 with a focus on direct mail after launching an award winning boutique firm based in her hometown of Nashville, TN. Kara made her name by developing winning political strategies for a wide range of local candidates, notably, State Senator Brenda Gilmore and Congressman Jim Cooper. Kara went on to work with high profile candidates throughout the midwest and across the Democratic spectrum including Bernie 2020, former State Senator Nina Turner and advocacy organizations including Pennsylvania Voice and the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation. Now based in Washington, DC, when she is not on the campaign trail, Kara enjoys taking a quick getaway with her family and friends.

Andy came to Pivot during the 2018 campaign cycle, working with Pivot’s senior partner for winning clients and organizations such as Tony Evers for Governor (WI), Lizzie Fletcher for Congress (TX-07), and End Citizens United IE efforts in Montana, New York and Illinois. Prior to joining Pivot, he worked as a Senate Floor reporter for Congressional Quarterly, covering the legislation of the day and parliamentary procedure. Andy then ran for the House of Delegates in Maryland, losing in the primary to a Pivot client, making him the living embodiment of “if you can’t beat them, join them.”

Logan has been working in Targeting and Analytics since the 2016 cycle and spent the 2020 and 2022 cycles at the DCCC on the Analytics Team. He has worked on federal, state, and local races from Alaska to Maine and comes from a family committed to mail, as his mother was mail carrier for the US Postal service for over 30 years. In 2022, he served as the data director for redistricting at the DCCC drawing and analyzing every proposed Congressional map and worked with members and candidates to help understand their new districts. Logan is an avid runner with a love for mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Mandy Vlasz joined Pivot in 2018 as the Chief Operating Officer. Mandy brings with her almost 20 years experience building internal processes at progressive organizations.  Prior to joining Pivot, Mandy was the Director of Operations and Administration for the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and the Director of Operations for Media Matters for America. Mandy lives in Alexandria with her husband Jonathan, their children James & Sawyer, and their pit bull Butter.

Brian has worked on nearly every aspect of campaigns over two decades. Born and raised in Kansas City, Brian started his career running state legislative caucuses in multiple states, including Missouri and Tennessee. He then managed Congressional races in Missouri and Nevada before joining the DCCC for two election cycles — serving as Regional Political Director, Political Director, and as Deputy Executive Director. In 2014, Brian oversaw Gov. McAuliffe’s political team, leading it for two years before being named Virginia State Director for the Clinton for America Campaign. For the last six years, Brian has been a mail consultant winning races across the country, up and down the ballot. Brian lives in Washington D.C., with his wife Krista and his two kids. In his limited free time, you can find him standing over a smoker or watching a Kansas City sports team.[