Sue Zoldak, Founder & Chief Creative Officer

As Founder and Owner of two award-winning campaign and public affairs ad agencies, Sue gets to do what she loves best – win. At the heart of every campaign? Cutting-edge digital techniques and hard-driving messages. Due to client demand, Sue built her first public affairs agency, The Zoldak Agency, in 2016 at the nexus of political strategy, data, and Madison Avenue-style advertising. She followed in 2019 with a political campaign ad agency, Zoldak Victory, and a public opinion polling firm, Zoldak Research.

The Zoldak Agency was named “Best Public Affairs Firm” in back-to-back years, 2018 and 2019, by the Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards. Altogether, Sue’s firms have won twenty-three Pollie Awards, the “Oscar’s of the political industry,” Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards, and international Polaris Awards in just five years. These include Public Affairs Best in Show, Best Use of Social Media, Best Use of Online Targeting, and Best Microsite.

Sue is quoted often in the media as a political commentator and digital strategist and has appeared on Canada’s equivalent of CNN, CTV, throughout the 2020 cycle as a Presidential debate analyst. She is a sought-after public speaker on advertising and digital trends.

MIT Tech Review wrote, “Put simply, she’s a go-to person for companies and organizations determined to shape public policy.”

Sue is the founder of DC Media Peeps, a networking group of more than 1,400 professionals in public affairs, communications, and advertising fields. She is an adjunct professor at George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, where she teaches Digital Strategy.

Read Sue’s full bio here.

Book Sue for speaking engagements here.

Ashley Mancheni, Director of Operations

As Director of Operations, Ashley oversees the internal operations of all client projects and manages external relationships. She is the collaborative resource across all divisions who makes sure that our 360-degree approach is executed with precision. She has extensive experience with public affairs programs and builds strategic communication plans to meet advocacy objectives. At the state level, Ashley has directed communications for ballot initiatives, legislative battles and coalition outreach and development. She’s done work for industries which include energy, natural resources, education, and telecommunications.

Ashley’s worked for a public affairs agency, a Foundation and a non-profit. During her time in D.C., Ashley built and led the communications and social media area of expertise for the Public Affairs Council. She advised corporations, associations and non-profits on using social and traditional media at the state, federal and international levels for grassroots advocacy, direct lobbying, reputation management and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

After spending nine years in Washington, D.C., Ashley has returned to her native roots in the Pacific Northwest, where she’s able to work on both state-level issues and federal advocacy. 

Zoë Kravitz Zoldak, Production Assistant

Our on-the-go production assistant scopes locations and makes sure creative shoots are ready for cinematography. No detail is too small for Zoë. No item is ever out of place. No talent misses their call time. Zoë is a micro Bernedoodle. Which means the Bernese Mountain Dog in her inspires her to carry a backpack of bandaids and rush to your side if you get a paper cut. But the Gen-Alpha Poodle in her requires much affirmations and pets.

In memoriam: Herbert “Herbie” Walker Zoldak, Chief Executive Mascot

Our mascot inspected packages upon delivery and patrolled the perimeter for data breaches. He was also an expert in advertising privacy compliance law such as IAB Privacy’s Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA) and the Global Privacy Platform (GPP). Are you working with an agency that has such expertise?

Jesse Kamzol, Vice President of Data

Jesse’s focus is on utilizing advanced micro-targeting and data analytics, which have become crucial elements of political campaigns. Reams of specific data points are collected and analyzed from millions of individual voters, allowing campaigns to more effectively communicate and engage grassroots activists. This “big data” is also used for predictive modeling to steer campaign resources to where they are needed most.

Jesse currently leads the use of artificial intelligence to improve a campaign's ability to shape and model the electorate utilizing technology that is swift, self-learning and less dependent on human input.

Jesse Kamzol has spent over a decade working with political data within the Republican National Committee, and in the field assisting countless campaigns and over 20 recounts with strategic data. Jesse served as Chief Data Officer at the RNC during the 2016 election cycle.

During his tenure, Jesse led the creation of the RNC data operations. His massive technological overhaul resulted in the modernized, campaign-style data and field program that was the foundation of President Trump's ground game.

As Chief Data Officer, he expanded data operations to perfect voter scores and expanded the analytics so that intel on the electorate was available much earlier and more consistently than ever before.

Jesse previously served as the Head of Data for the London-based company, Genius AI. Genius AI is a next-generation artificial intelligence platform combining advances in the fields of machine learning, neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral sciences. The platform is powered by deep learning and focuses on engaging new and existing voters in an emotionally intelligent way. The platform continuously learns and adapts, giving organizations and campaigns the power to better understand and interact with people around the world.

Jesse graduated from the University of Michigan with a concentration in economics focusing on game theory.

Andrew S. Ricci, Public Relations Counsel

Andrew S. Ricci is a strategic communications, messaging, and media expert with broad experience spanning the halls of Congress, the campaign trail, and working with agency clients in a wide range of industries. He’s developed and led communications campaigns, served as a flack and spokesperson, pitched media, and written content to help his clients get in the news or get out of it.

With a foundation working for elected officials in competitive, nationally-targeted districts, Andrew brings a campaign-oriented approach to every client engagement. He works hand-in-hand with clients to not only provide strategic counsel, but to design and implement communications campaigns that drive toward the client’s established goal.

His ghost writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, and countless state, regional, and local publications. He has been quoted as a spokesman or subject matter expert in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Associated Press, ABC News, MarketWatch, CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, Roll Call, The Hill, and many others.

Andrew has a B.A. in English from the University of Mount Union (formerly Mount Union College) and is a native of Beaver Falls, Pa.