People

Where did you grow up? Detroit Rock City

Education:  BA from Penn; JD/MBA from Columbia

Pre-GG: Attorney at Skadden. Clinton administration. SS+K.

Year started GG: 2005

What inspired you to start Group Gordon? I saw a need in the market for a firm that excelled both strategically and tactically.

Describe GG in a haiku:

Focus on the group

We put our employees first

Pays off for clients

Three adjectives that describe GG: Persistent, strategic, assertive

My trivia category is: Grammar

Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate peanut butter

What does GG stand for? Green Giant

Proudest achievement: My wife and kids. A close second: together with my wife, three-time champion of the Tyler Place Week 10.5 B-level Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament. A close third: my one-sentence music blog down below that I update very infrequently.

What was your childhood nickname? Flash Gordon

Three adjectives that describe you: Young, scrappy, and hungry

What’s left on your bucket list? Seeing the Lions win the Super Bowl

What’s something your clients don’t know about you? I’m the last of seven children in a “yours, mine, and ours” family.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I’m obsessed with Casey Kasem.

What I’m listening to these days: LOVE Broadway star Joshua Henry’s first pop album, Grow. Yola rocks multiple genres in Stand for Myself. Of course a fan of my all-time fave Gary Louris in Jump for Joy. And the cast album of Six shows off the best Broadway music of the past four years.

Where did you grow up? NYC and CT

Education: Northwestern. Go cats!

Year started at GG: 2013

Your approach to strategic communications: It all starts with learning the business inside and out: the company objectives, competitors, industry challenges, the future of the space, etc. Establishing this foundation will equip you with the knowledge to develop a plan to move the business forward.

Client outcomes: Successful litigation outcomes; increased sales with key audiences and in target markets; positive press around major acquisitions

You would never believe: I went to acting camp.

Where do you get your news? NYT. Sorry folks, Twitter is not a news source.

Fantasy social media handle: @POTUS

The first thing I’d do as president: Hire GG

I can’t live without: Good & Plenty candy

Describe GG in a haiku:

Thoughtful advocates

We understand your business

And results driven

One sentence that captures the GG mission statement? GG helps leading companies and organizations share their point of view with the world.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: Shooting guard for the NY Knicks. Feeling pretty good about my chances.

I like clients who: Are open to big ideas and stepping out of their comfort zone when strategic.

What I like in a coworker: Intelligence and willingness to disagree 

What’s something your clients don’t know about you? I’m a mock trial state champion.

Where did you grow up? Westport, CT

Education: BA from Vassar College; MA from New York University

Year started at GG: 2005

Client focus areas include: Corporate, nonprofits, finance, professional services

Your approach to strategic communications: Honestly assess how you want to be perceived vs. how you are perceived – and then figure out the most strategic route for bridging that gap.

Client outcomes include: Increased national and international brand awareness; steady pipeline of incoming media opportunities; prominent thought-leadership piece placements; ongoing contributor opportunities

You would never believe: I was one of GG’s earliest employees.

My trivia category is: Pop culture

I can’t live without: Honey Green Honest Tea

Best attribute: Prodigious memory

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: An actress, an author, and a librarian.

Pet peeve: Excessive business jargon

Guilty pleasure: Parmesan Goldfish (a glorious pleasure)

How would you describe yourself? I keep an eye on the big picture while maintaining close attention to detail.

I like clients who: Are open-minded and excited about communications.

Favorite question to ask job candidates: What’s your favorite book?

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I’m the voice of the GG voicemail.  

What’s something your clients don’t know about you? I love to sing.

Where did you grow up? New Rochelle, NY

Education: BA from Vassar College

Year started at GG: 2013

Your approach to strategic communications: Think about who is on the receiving end of your message and who is delivering it. Then think about everything in between.

Client outcomes include: Confident spokespeople; contained crises; top-tier feature stories, commentary, and opinion pieces; new business opportunities and partnerships stemming from media exposure

Unusual skills or hidden talents: Parallel parking, unsubscribing from email newsletters, finding a way to read my book no matter how crowded the subway is

You would never believe: I have never drank a cup of coffee.

Favorite word: Eavesdrop

Describe GG in a haiku:

Smart people who care

Plus good clients with big goals

Make the world better

Number of countries visited: 17

Proudest achievement: I was a semifinalist in a cooking competition judged by Ina Garten, my idol and queen of the Food Network.

Pet peeve: If it’s after 1pm, it’s no longer brunch. It’s just lunch.

Three adjectives that describe your colleagues: Astute, empathetic, spunky

Who would play you in a movie? Meryl Streep

Most embarrassing moment: I was harassed and then chased by an angry wild turkey at a suburban bus stop during my first month of work at GG.

Where did you grow up? Manalapan, NJ

Education: American University

Year started at GG: 2014

Your approach to strategic communications: Start with a client’s goals – whether that means growing their business or impacting policy – and stay laser-focused on them.

Hidden talents: I’m really good at remembering dates and names, to the point where people think it’s weird that I remember things so well.

My trivia category is: Geography

Fantasy social media handle: @theotherhillary

Last thing I do at work each day: Think about what I’m eating for dinner

Number of countries visited: 24

Describe GG in a haiku:

Public relations

Can help your business achieve

More than you’d have thought

Favorite sport: The GG dodgeball team

Favorite word: Discombobulated

Your proudest achievement: Successfully hiking a mountain in Norway at midnight

Three adjectives that describe you: Funny, ambitious, nerdy

Items recently crossed off my bucket list: Eat sushi at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo

I like clients who: Are willing to take a chance.

What’s something that most people don’t know about you? I learned to read by age 2.

Where did you grow up? Spring Lake, NJ

Education: BA from Cornell University, MA from New York University

Year started at GG: 2019

Your approach to strategic communications: Deeply understanding a client’s business goals and offering candid advice to help them achieve those aims

Client outcomes include: Securing media placements that have a tangibly positive impact on their businesses

You would never believe: I won the National Spelling Bee in 2006.

Social media alter ego: @danny.themaltese (I run my dog’s Instagram account – a failed attempt at transforming him into a revenue-generating social media star.)

I can’t live without: Guacamole.

Favorite book: Pride & Prejudice

Favorite word: Ursprache

Favorite song of all time: “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen

Your proudest achievement: Finishing my first marathon

What does GG stand for: Gritty Gurus

Best attribute/worst attribute Grit / stubbornness

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: An Academy Award-winning actress.

Things I like in a coworker: Someone who always comes to the table with new ideas; is willing to go out of their way to help you out

Where did you grow up? Natick, MA

Education? Fordham University

Year started at GG: 2017

Client focus areas include: Real estate, affordable housing, and nonprofit and advocacy organizations.

Client outcomes include: National broadcast placements; top-tier opinion placements; changes to state policy; successful city and state budget campaigns.

Where do you get your news? As many sources as possible – national print and broadcast, local New York outlets, and my clients’ favorite trades outlets.

My trivia category is: British royal family.

Fantasy social media handle: @notashley

Write one sentence that captures the GG mission statement: We become a part of your team to help you achieve your communications goals.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Coffee! I make my own ice cream at home. Can’t be beat.

Proudest achievement: GG PR Olympics Gold Medalist

Most embarrassing moment: On my way to my interview at GG I rode the elevator with two GGers I recognized from the website and accidentally eavesdropped on their conversation.

What’s your pet peeve? An inefficiently loaded office dishwasher

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: A spy.

Favorite NYC neighborhood: Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

Item recently crossed off my bucket list: Working from home for 90 days in a row

I like clients who: Are willing to take bold steps.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? When I was 10, I was honored at the Massachusetts State House for co-leading a climate change advocacy campaign.

Where did you grow up?: Scituate, MA

Education: Syracuse University

Year started at GG: 2019

Unusual skill: Catching lobsters

My trivia categories are: Movie quotes no one else seems to remember

I can’t live without: Pamplemousse La Croix

Favorite pizza topping: Pineapple and pepperoni

Favorite type of book: Psychological thriller

Guilty pleasure: Marriage or Mortgage

Three adjectives that describe your colleagues: Thoughtful, intelligent, enthusiastic

Favorite question to ask job candidates: What’s something people get wrong about you when they first meet you?

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: How much I miss going into the office every day and seeing everyone!

Where did you grow up? Queens and Long Island, but everyone wants me to “pick a side”

Education: Cornell University

Year started at GG 2019

Unusual hobby: Being a Knicks fan

You would never believe I: Went to acting school when I was younger and auditioned for Nickelodeon

Last thing I do at work each day is: Check in with my associate, a.k.a. my daily partner in crime

Your proudest achievement: Jumping the 9^th longest triple jump of all time in Cornell indoor track and field history

Guilty pleasure: Banana Nutella cake at Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Childhood nickname: King James

Item recently crossed off my bucket list: Hike a mountain in Colorado

A few items left on my bucket list: Visiting West Africa and learning about my history/ancestry

Additional GG titles: Director of Memes, Director of Outdoor Engagement

Where did you grow up? Long Island, but don’t hold it against me.

Education? The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Year started at GG: 2017

My trivia category is: 70s and 80s pop culture

I can’t live without: Tennis

Favorite song of all time: “Best of My Love” by The Emotions

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: A Broadway star.

Proudest achievement: My husband and kids; A close second: together with my husband, co-champions of the Joe Norton Valentine’s Day Point Play Tennis Tournament

What does GG stand for? Goal-oriented Go-getters

Your best attribute/worst attribute: Empathetic / impatient

What was your childhood nickname? Greeny

What’s your pet peeve: When my husband and kids play practical jokes on me

Number of countries visited: 31 (and counting…)

A few items left on my bucket list: 31 countries visited and (at least) 31 more to go

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I missed my calling as a psychologist.

Where did you grow up?: The People’s Republic of Madison, WI

Education: The University of Chicago

___________ buff: Roman history

The first thing I’d do as president: Public bathrooms on every corner

Favorite ice cream flavor: Pistachio (but I don’t really like ice cream. I’m a shame to my home state.)

Word: Petrichor

Most embarrassing moment: I was roasted by Colin Jost on Saturday Night Live

Best attribute/worst attribute: I like to make people laugh/sometimes I do that at the wrong times

Who would play you in a movie: Jonah Hill

Things I like in a coworker: Someone who’s willing to laugh at the ridiculous things that happen at our job

Something your clients don’t know about you: If they would let me, I could spend every call just talking about the latest NBA drama

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: You’re not getting that out of me. Nice try, colleagues!

Where did you grow up?: Queens, New York

Education: Macaulay Honors College (CUNY)

Unusual skill: Dog-grooming

You would never believe I: Rowed around the entirety of Manhattan twice!

My trivia category is: Trending TikTok songs.

Fantasy social media handle: @kangofqueens

Your proudest achievement: Teaching my puppy to respond to Korean commands

Pet peeve: Bad WiFi

What does GG stand for: GOAT Group

Three adjectives that describe GG: Creative, passionate, versatile

Item recently crossed off my bucket list: Watching the sunrise at the Grand Canyon

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: I started backyard gardening recently – kale, lettuce, tomatoes galore!

Where did you grow up?: Dix Hills, NY

Education: The Newhouse School at Syracuse University

Year started at GG: 2020

Your approach to strategic communications: Start with the business goals, align the communications goals, and know them like the back of your hand

You would never believe I: Am an expert on all things supernatural

Fantasy social media handle: @CaptainMorgan

The first thing I’d do as president: Implement free ice cream on weekends

Favorite song of all time: Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

Your proudest achievement: All Around Camper at sleepaway camp

Most embarrassing moment/fact: I’m a cat lady

Pet peeve: Commercials

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: An archaeologist

Likes clients who: Dream big

Where did you grow up? Baltimore, MD

Education: Fordham University

Unusual skills: Finding almost anything secondhand

You would never believe I: Bungee jumped off the highest bungee bridge in the world when I was 16

Fantasy social media handle: @nycfoodcritic

The first thing I’d do as president: Create a national distribution of New York bagels

I can’t live without: My New York Public Library card

Favorite word: Ramshackle

Number of countries visited: 15

Most embarrassing moment: Having a pigeon poop on me while giving a tour of my college campus

Pet peeve: When people mix up “awhile” and “a while”

Favorite NYC landmark: New York Botanical Gardens

Likes clients who: Are excited to think outside the box

Favorite question to ask job candidates: What’s your favorite PR fail and why?

Where did you grow up? Irvington, New York

Education: Hamilton College

Unusual skills: Juggling a soccer ball (with my feet)

Describe GG in a haiku:

Communicating

With pleasure, purpose, and poise

To help serve your goals

Most embarrassing moment/fact I was on Hamilton College’s rowing team for not even a full semester, but for several semesters, they reposted a picture on social media of me, rowing, with horrible form and a not-so-pretty facial expression anytime there was an upcoming regatta

Three adjectives that describe GG: Gritty, dynamic, intentional

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: A presidential speechwriter (a.k.a. Sam Seaborn from The West Wing)

A few items left on my bucket list: Seeing the New York Rangers hoist the Stanley Cup

Favorite question to ask job candidates: What’s a PR issue in the news that you would have handled differently?

Something that most people don’t know about you: I have an ice cream flavor named after me (Chocolate MELtdown, still sold at a local ice cream store in Tarrytown, New York)

Pets: I have a tortoise named Randall

Where did you grow up: Durham, NC

Education: UNC Chapel Hill

My trivia categories is: Obscure cultural history

I can’t live without: Avocados

Favorite getaway spot: Asheville, NC

Most embarrassing moment: A seagull swooped down and stole my Kohr’s ice cream cone in Ocean City

Pet peeve: Describing things as “classy”

Favorite NYC landmark: The Cloisters

Likes clients who: Have a strong sense of purpose

Favorite question to ask job candidates: How do you collaborate on a team?

Something that most people don’t know about you: I’m someone you want to have on your trivia team

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: I make an excellent martini

Where did you grow up: Nashville, TN

Education: New York University

Unusual skills: I can talk with my mouth closed

You would never believe I: Went to high school in Sioux City, IA

The first thing I’d do as president: Read all the secret files that aren’t public

Favorite sport: Basketball

Favorite word: Vegan

Pet peeve: Slow walkers

Three adjectives that describe your colleagues: Generous, genuine, gracious

Items recently crossed off my bucket list: Graduating college, living in New York, seeing my favorite artist perform live

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: I tore my ACL skiing down a black diamond

Where did you grow up: Stockton, CA

Education: Trinity University

You would never believe I: Was once a world champion in Hunger Games trivia

Writing implement of choice: The pens I’ve collected from hotel rooms over the years

Most embarrassing moment: Tripping and dislocating my kneecap in front of most of my high school

Pet peeve: People checking their phones when we’re talking

Guilty pleasure: Hallmark Christmas Movies

Three adjectives that describe GG: Clever, dependable, ambitious

Worst attribute: Terrible sense of direction

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: Nancy Drew

Likes clients who: Leave space for creativity

Where did you grow up: Various cities and towns across Massachusetts.

Education: Hofstra University

Client outcomes include: I once worked with a reporter over the course of a few months to finalize a feature article on a harmful development project in Haiti. The article solicited a response from the Haitian government, and ultimately held them accountable to a timeline for recourse for affected farmers and families.

You would never believe I: Haven’t met Mariah Carey yet (I can’t believe it either)

The first thing I’d do as president: Redecorate

Favorite word: Literally

Favorite movie genre: Pointless action movies

Guilty pleasure: All of my pleasures are guilt free!

What does GG stand for: Great Guidance

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: My mom

Childhood nickname: Shrimpie

Something your colleagues don’t know about you: That I’m constantly bragging about them!

Where did you grow up? Jersey City and Hoboken, NJ

Where did you go to college/grad school? Wesleyan University

Hidden talent: I can yo-yo

My trivia category is: Latin word roots

Social media alter ego: @Perf_Paragraph on Twitter

The first thing I’d do as president: Mandate that all dresses have pockets

I can’t live without: Cheese

Favorite pizza topping: Ricotta, prosciutto, red pepper flakes, and honey

Favorite book: Civilwarland in Bad Decline by George Saunders

Favorite word: Scintilla

Pet peeve: Aloofness

Most embarrassing fact: I wore a headband every single day until I was in the tenth grade

Childhood nickname: Mule

Something that most people don’t know about you: My great aunt is in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

Where did you grow up? Pittsburgh, PA

Education: Boston College

You would never believe I: won the state championship with my high school soccer team

The first thing I’d do as president: Pass climate legislation

Favorite word: Hello

Favorite song of all time: Hey Jude by The Beatles

What does GG stand for: Good Game

How would you describe yourself? More than anything else, a great writer

A few items left on my bucket list: Get a humor piece published in the New Yorker

Most embarrassing fact: Being the last person to complete my bio for the GG website

Where did you grow up?  Chicago, IL

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You would never believe I: have baked over 5,000 cookies in less than a month

My trivia category is: 90s music

The first thing I’d do as president: Ban mosquitoes

Favorite word: Hullaballoo

Pet peeve: When people spoil a TV show or movie

GG stands for: Groundbreaking Geniuses

Best attribute/worst attribute: Honest/brutally honest

Childhood nickname: Poppin fresh

Who would play you in a movie?: Keke Palmer

Something that most people don’t know about you: I spent 6 years working in early childhood education.