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: My Mom’s recordings of standards that she did in 2011. She sang with many bands, entertained the USO, and performed in local shows throughout her life. We lost her to Covid on November 5, but her music and her love lives on through our family.

Where did you grow up? Chicago, IL

Education: BA from University of Michigan; MS from Columbia University

Year started at GG: 2009

Your approach to strategic communications: Begin with an intense period of fact finding, competitor analysis, and media audit; synthesize results; develop overall objectives and messaging; build strategy and tactical plan; execute aggressively; measure results.

Client outcomes include: National brand awareness-building, groundbreaking opinion pieces that shift policy, large-scale coordinated campaigns across channels and with partners, creative media mailers that draw national attention

My trivia category is: All things Food Network

First thing I do at work: Sift through my frightening inbox

I can’t live without: Competitive stationary cycling

Favorite Chicago neighborhood: Bucktown

Describe GG in a haiku:

Communications:

A powerful tool for good,

Growth, and reaching goals.

Favorite sport: Figure skating during the Olympics, but only during the Olympics

What I like in a coworker: Emotional intelligence

Proudest achievement: GG Chicago

What was your childhood nickname? Lanster Monster

What’s something your clients don’t know about you? Before joining Group Gordon I worked as a journalist.

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, the biggest industry challenges, the future of the space, etc. Establishing this foundation will equip you with the knowledge to develop a plan with clear objectives that will 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 ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain

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 it is strategic.

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

What’s something your clients don’t know about you? I’m an avid hip hop enthusiast.

Where did you grow up? Northvale, NJ

Education: BA from Columbia University; MA from Ecole Normale Superieur in Paris

Year started at GG: 2013

Unusual skills or hidden talents: I take Scrabble very seriously.

Describe GG in a haiku:

Strategic partners

Getting meaningful results

With smart comms approach

Fantasy social media handle: @theeviltwin

What’s your pet peeve? Interrupters

You would never believe: I didn’t learn to speak English until I was 4 years old (despite being born in America!).

An embarrassing fact about you: I once fell off a treadmill at my local gym – the bruises healed, but my ego still hasn’t recovered.

Your best attribute/worst attribute: Emotional intelligence / impatience

What does GG stand for? Genuine Geniuses

Three adjectives that describe GG’s company culture: Supportive, entrepreneurial, collegial

Something recently crossed off my bucket list: Touching a glacier

What’s something most people don’t know about you? Green M&Ms are my favorite – I always save them for last.

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.

Client outcomes include: Growing media presence at top conferences, placing policy-focused op-eds in mainstream national outlets, helping our clients attract new clients

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? 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? Princeton, NJ

Education: University of Michigan

Year started at GG: 2014

Client outcomes include: Establishing regular contributorships in leading national publications, increasing community and social engagement, and facilitating feature articles in essential trade and regional publications.

Unusual hobbies: I am teaching myself the ukulele.

You would never believe: I am very handy.

Last thing I do at work each day: Close out all the tabs I’ve kept open and do not need—this is extremely therapeutic!

Write one sentence that captures the GG mission statement: Group Gordon executes precise, informed communication strategy to help differentiate and elevate clients and tell their unique stories.

Favorite word: Whimsical

Your proudest achievement: President Clinton wrote a personal note in response to an op-ed we placed for a GG client.

Most embarrassing moment: My first week at GG, I ran face first into the glass conference room door.

What does GG stand for: Gifted Goofballs

How would you describe yourself? Small but mighty

Three adjectives that describe GG? Goal-oriented, deliberate, tenacious

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be: The host of Jeopardy

Item recently crossed off my bucket list: Visited my grandmother’s hometown in Hungary

A few items left on my bucket list: Attend all four tennis Grand Slams

What’s something that most people don’t know about you? My first word as a baby was “Batman.”

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? Demarest, New Jersey

Education: McGill University in Montreal

Year started at GG: 2018

Approach to strategic communication: Begin with thorough research and discovery to understand the client’s industry; move to an analysis of where the client is compared to where they want to be to determine short- and long-term goals; and then develop a creative strategic plan that brings us to success.

Client outcomes include: Leading national and broadcast coverage when a client went public; a significant corporate donation to support a nonprofit’s COVID-19 community relief fund; and elevating the expertise of professors.

Unusual hobbies/skills/hidden talents I’m double-jointed, which has resulted in my partially dislocating both shoulders and my elbow. I wish I had a hidden talent that didn’t hurt so much.

You would never believe:  I swam competitively for 12 years

My trivia category is: New York City restaurants

The first thing I’d do as president: Encourage dessert for breakfast

Describe GG in a haiku:

Thoughtful, smart, driven

Strategic partners, and so

The obvious choice

Proudest achievement: Organizing a swim meet with American swimmer and former world record-holder Craig Beardsley that raised nearly $12k for Swim Across America, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment.

Three adjectives that describe you: Dedicated, disciplined, determined

Item recently crossed off my bucket list: Quarantining in a global pandemic

I like clients who: Are mission-driven and dedicated to making a difference.

What I like in a coworker: Fellow foodie and a sense of humor

What’s something most people don’t know about you? I have snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef.

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? Oakland, CA

Education: The University of Southern California (Fight On!)

Year started at GG: 2016

Unusual hobbies or hidden talents: I’m extremely talented at avoiding eye contact on public transit.

My trivia category is: Sports

The first thing I’d do as president: Invite the Raiders to the White House

Describe GG in a haiku:

Clever strategists

Who are hungry tacticians

A scary combo

Last thing I do at work each day: Close about 100 tabs and Word documents

I can’t live without: Wawa

Favorite word: Garner (there’s a story behind it)

Baseball walkout song: “My Type” by Saint Motel

Number of countries visited: 31 down on my way to 100

Pet peeve: When someone leaves the office coffee pot empty

How would you describe yourself? Driven and energetic in work and life

Things I like in a coworker: Team-oriented and a “whatever it takes to get the job done” attitude

Favorite question to ask job candidates? What’s one thing not in your resume or cover letter that we should know about you?