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Our Team

We are persistent, committed partners.

Our diverse and talented team lives our values every day by partnering with clients we believe in to drive meaningful change.

– Matt Dorf, president and founder

Nidhi Addanki

Strategist

Prapti Ajmera

Strategist

Logan Bayroff

Vice President

Morgan Brill

Senior Strategist

Lucy Carradine

Associate

Zack Cohen

Strategist

Andrea Collazo-Salazar

Associate

Shannon Craig Straw

Partner

How do you drive meaningful change?

I dive deep into our client’s identity and mission, and work side-by-side with them to develop effective, compelling core messaging that equips them to achieve their goals.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

When proposed changes to a program for parents and young children would have made it less effective, I developed messaging and an advocacy toolkit that enabled our coalition client to secure funding without the damaging changes.

Favorite ice cream

Mint chocolate chip

Favorite movie

The American President

Favorite hobby

Watching baseball

Ben DePasquale

Strategist

Matt Dorf

President and Founder

How do you drive meaningful change?

I guide clients to reach the audiences they need to achieve their goals. Then, I collaborate with them to leverage these public-facing moments to further their advocacy, membership and/or development efforts.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Founding a strategic communications firm that lives its values, encourages our team members to thrive, and partners with clients we believe in to drive meaningful change

Favorite ice cream

Maple walnut

Favorite movie

Dr. Strangelove

Favorite hobby

Cycling

Sarah Garfinkel

Vice President

Hannah Gavin

Senior Strategist

Ari Geller

Senior Advisor

How do you drive meaningful change?

I focus on ensuring that our work with clients is goal-oriented. Any media we place or content we develop is aimed a motivating an audience to take the necessary action to advance the client’s agenda.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

My proudest achievement was helping a client elevate their voice in a moment of particular national importance. Doing so immediately changed the narrative and opened the door for other allies to follow our client’s lead.

Favorite ice cream

Chocolate

Favorite movie

The Princess Bride

Favorite hobby

Going to the movies

Blake Goodman

Senior Strategist

How do you drive meaningful change?

I collaborate with clients to establish both short-term and long-term communications goals, while assessing the rapidly-changing news cycle and finding opportunities to highlight their work and purpose.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

After a highly competitive election, I drafted and distributed a statement that underscored our client’s uniquely consequential role in the campaign and the positive outcome, garnering extensive media coverage that reached key audiences.

Favorite ice cream

Mint chocolate chip

Favorite movie

Back to the Future

Favorite hobby

Playing tennis

Alice Hickson

Senior Strategist

Alissa Kaplan Michaels

Senior Advisor

How do you drive meaningful change?

By guiding clients to communicate both efficiently and effectively, I help to amplify advocacy efforts on a global scale.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

I am most proud of my work that raises awareness of human rights issues.

Favorite ice cream

Anything chocolate

Favorite movie

Pan’s Labyrinth

Favorite hobby

Photographing sunflowers

Halea Kerr-Layton

Senior Strategist

Samantha Kupferman

Partner

How do you drive meaningful change?

Leveraging my background in journalism and political communications, I facilitate clients — and potential clients — in understanding where they’re trying to go and the most effective ways to get there.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

I was privileged to stand by the side of more than 100 Holocaust survivors as they returned to Auschwitz for the 75th anniversary of its liberation and bravely stood up to share their stories.

Favorite ice cream

Chocolate chip cookie dough

Favorite movie

Titanic

Favorite hobby

Hiking

Christine Lamitina

Vice President

Lincoln Le

Associate

Will Mesinger

Vice President

Kyra Plourde

Associate

Rachel Tardiff

Executive Vice President

Sami Walley

Strategist

Romelo Wilson

Strategist

How do you drive meaningful change?

I approach each of my clients’ goals with logic and empathy to collaborate with them to develop effective messaging and smart strategies.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

Outside of the office, I support a national summer learning organization to implement strength-based messaging strategies and curricula focused on social/emotional learning.

Favorite ice cream

Butter Pecan

Favorite movie

Freedom Writers (2007)

Favorite hobby

Dancing

What is it like to work at WEST?

We believe in our clients and share their passion, values and commitment to a better world. And we know that the lasting, meaningful change we want to create is only possible with a team of people who have diverse backgrounds, perspectives and beliefs. As we work to create change in the world around us, we are also creating and strengthening equitable workplace cultures at WEST and across our industry where employees can thrive.

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