The Turner Strategies team combines decades of experience from the core fields essential to shaping public opinion: media relations, online communication and political strategy. The result is an approach to communications that effectively navigates the complex avenues between on- and off-line media and digital and real-world communities. We are lean, efficient and agile, able to rapidly utilize special skills and capabilities drawn from a wide network of some of the most respected communications practitioners in the country. We devise and execute high-level strategies that help our clients succeed in the ever-changing and increasingly complex media and communications arenas.

Suzanne Turner, President

The National Journal called Suzanne "the best publicist in America." Her communications campaigns have helped pass more than 40 pieces of legislation. She has worked for Fortune 500 companies, devising branding and marketing campaigns that have moved millions of dollars worth of products. As senior vice president at Fenton Communications for seven years, Suzanne helped grow the firm from four people to more than 100 in three cities. She was Mid-Atlantic regional manager of the high-tech PR firm The Launch Company, where she built the client base and managed a half-million dollars in client billings monthly. She is co-founder of the Internet Advocacy Center and a founding member of Progressive Communicators of DC. She has also worked as a newspaper and television reporter. She studied at Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies and the Université de Paris IV - La Sorbonne, and holds a BA from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.

Pamela Avery, Principal

Pamela is the director of Turner Strategies' Western Office. She has created and implemented comprehensive communications strategies for organizations ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to health, education and other non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Turner Strategies, she was partner in charge of PR at Bozell for four years and owned and operated a marketing communications firm in Denver, Colorado, for 13 years. A specialist in crisis and contingency communications, Pamela helped develop the Y2K communications plan for AT&T Broadband (now Comcast) and currently serves as a primary media/spokesperson trainer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A journalist for over a decade, she was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor at Denver’s Rocky Mountain News; at Arizona papers such as the Arizona Republic and at the Phoenix Gazette; the founding editor of a national magazine for cancer patients and their families; and executive producer of EarthWire, a nationally syndicated environmental radio program. Pamela also served as the founding deputy director of the Colorado Governor’s Office of Rural Health, which became a national model.   

Ben Carlson, Vice President, Operations

Ben has served as vice president for communications at two of the worldís most innovative biotechnology companies, where he mastered the art of crisis and issues communications. Ben has consulted on digital graphics, branding and Web site development. His "trustmark" for online privacy seal program TRUSTe is among the Web's most familiar symbols. His was associate producer and on-air talent for Hibernia Beach LIVE on the top modern rock radio station in San Francisco. Ben holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.     

Gloria Pan, Vice President, Internet Communications

Gloria directed communications at The Media Center where, through the strategic use of Internet marketing and outreach, she helped transform a small, newspaper-industry-specific enterprise into an influential, widely recognized media thought leader. She was editor of The Media Center's morph blog and a driving force in its annual We Media conference, a must-attend event for the media vanguard. Before that, she managed communications for the American Press Institute. From 1991 to 2000, she resided in Tokyo, Japan. After completing a masters program in development economics at Sophia University, she became international editor and writer for The Nippon Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in Japan. Gloria holds a BA in political economy from Barnard College and speaks Mandarin Chinese and some Japanese. 

Sascha Burns, Vice President, Political Strategy

Sascha is a political strategist and news commentator, frequently debating conservative pundits on MSNBC and the Fox News Channel. She delivers analysis on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates, and on international news channels and news radio. She anchored the 2004 Democratic National Convention's online political coverage, conducting primetime, off-the-podium interviews with the keynote speakers. She served on the Advisory Council of Senator John Kerry's Presidential Exploratory Committee, as national advance staff for press operations on the 2000 Gore/Lieberman Campaign, and as a longtime lobbyist at Patton Boggs, the top-ranked public policy firm in the country. Sascha was also on the staff of United States Senator Sam Nunn. 

Mari Ann Donnelly, Project Director, Design

Mari Ann has extensive experience creating powerful and appropriate solutions for a wide variety of clients in both small studio environments and at the major global ad agency Ogilvy PR Worldwide. She has a broad background in design, advertising, fine arts, print production and project management. She is featured in GRAPHIS Student Design 96, Creativity 31 and Letterheads Gone Digital by David E. Carter. She is the recipient of numerous design awards, including the Neenah Paper Award and the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington Merit Award.

Neal Fersko, Associate Project Director, Research

Neal is a media researcher and writer. He has worked for the Democratic Governor's Association on the 2006 election cycle and with the Special Projects Division at Media Matters for America. He began his career working for Nassau County, New York. He holds a BA in political science from American University.

Katie Stanton, Internet Project Coordinator

Katie is an Internet project coordinator, focusing on online communications, networking and maintaining blog communities in addition to graphic design and writing and editing projects. She holds a BA with honors in English and cultural studies from George Mason University. She has completed internships at the American Diabetes Association, working with fundraising and income development, and the Neighbor’s Network, a Great Falls-based Internet start-up. She has volunteered at several charities/non-profits and organized fundraising concerts in Alexandria, Virginia.

Fathima Khan, PR Fellow

Fathima is a public relations fellow and an administrative assistant. She is currently working towards a BS with honors in Marketing at George Mason University, with a minor in Information Technology. She has completed an internship with the American Iron and Steel Institute's Communications department and additionally works part-time as an Optometric technician.   

Of Counsel

Lisa Dry

Lisa has more than 25 years of marketing communications and public affairs experience on agricultural issues. She has served as vice president of public affairs for the American Seed Trade Association, and as communications director for the National Pork Producers Council, the Animal Health Institute and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Lisa has strong relationships with key organizations and opinion leaders in the production agriculture and food safety communities. In addition, she has a proven track record in issue and crisis management in multiple high-profile agricultural issues. As spokesperson for various clients, she has participated in numerous national print, radio, and television stories. Lisa graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in communications, and did post-graduate study at New York University.  A native of the Missouri Bootheel, she retains an interest in her family's cotton farm.

Hank Isaac

Hank is principal and creative director of Ampheta Creative, a graphic design and marketing communications consulting firm located in the Washington, DC area. His firm, founded in 2000, specializes in creating integrated cross-media marketing communications, including print collateral, print and Web advertising, tradeshow exhibits, interactive media and corporate identity development. The firm has a broad client base, including commercial, government and association accounts. His work has been recognized in Print magazine, and he received an Addy award for pro bono work done for the American Heart Association. Prior to starting Ampheta Creative, he worked as an art director for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, VA, and as creative director for Reston Design Group in Reston, VA. Hank holds a BA in communication arts and design from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D

Alan is a frequent speaker and author on digital media, advocacy and politics, including social networking, blogging, and grassroots and mobile advocacy strategies. He co-founded the Internet Advocacy Center with Suzanne Turner in 2005. He currently is the associate director for online advocacy at the Center for American Progress. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown and American Universities and a blogger at TechPresident.com and DrDigiPol.com. He is a founding team member of Media Bureau Networks (MBN), and a contributing editor to Politics Online. He taught political science at George Mason University for nine years. He also held executive positions in the online advocacy services division at Stateside Associates and e-Advocates (now 720 Strategies). Alan holds a Ph.D. in political science from American University. 

Susan Roth

Susan is the winner of the 2002 Best of Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America for the broadcast launch of XM Satellite Radio, and of the 2003 Silver Anvil for the 911 volunteerism initiative, MyGoodDeed. A veteran public relations consultant with over 20 years of experience, she has generated high-profile media coverage for national campaigns, issues and groups that advocate for the environment, hunger relief, ending genocide in Darfur, healthcare, voting rights and disaster relief. Her management positions for media giants, including The Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios, have given her first-hand knowledge and special insight when developing strategies for successful national print and broadcast coverage. She has established long-standing relationships with key editors, reporters and producers in business, consumer and trade media outlets. Her clients have included Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, United Animal Nations, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN, Feature Story News, the American Red Cross, Symantec, Iomega, E! Entertainment TV, "Entertainment Tonight" and many more. Susan holds a BA in cinema and communications from Hunter College in New York City.

Art Silverman

Advertising guru Art Silverman has worked widely in both media and politics. He was the founding creative director of Fenton Communications, where he developed and placed over nine million dollars worth of advertising. The New Yorker magazine said his work on behalf of MoveOn.org was changing the nature of public affairs discourse. His current work is seen regularly in the pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other major newspapers across the country, and in leading magazines and political journals.

And, last but not least, our favorite rocket scientist...

Ralph Sklarew, Ph.D.

Ralph is a principal at working Widgets, which develops and implements Web 2.0 strategies to extend brands using portable Web applications called widgets. His widgets have been used by top musicians to empower their fans to track performances and virally build their communities. He is now working to bring this same model to impassioned affinity groups in the nonprofit world. He is known as an entrepreneur and technologist, having founded three companies and been awarded a dozen patents. He programs in Flash and Flex to make rich, interactive Web applications. He has published and spoken on many diverse fields, from environmental science to space industrialization to working in virtual worlds. He was awarded a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California.