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Bullpen Strategy Group Announces New Team Additions, Expands Communications And Analysis Practices

January 11, 2021 | Blog Post

Washington, DC – Bullpen Strategy Group is excited to announce that Capitol Hill veteran Michael Zona and award-winning public affairs expert Luke Marchant are joining the firm’s rapidly growing strategic advisory and public affairs practices.

Michael Zona joins BSG as Vice President in our strategic communications and public affairs advisory practice. Zona is a Capitol Hill and political campaign veteran, most recently serving as Communications Director for the Senate Finance Committee majority as well as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. Zona brings an extensive policy communications background to help serve BSG’s clients, having played an integral role in developing communications strategies around some of the most high profile issues to come before Congress, including the historic coronavirus relief packages and multiple Supreme Court nominations.

Luke Marchant joins BSG from Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and will serve as Vice President of the strategic advisory practice based in Dallas, TX. Marchant is a longtime campaign operative, with more than 20 years of political campaign, public relations and government service experience. From supporting Fortune 500 companies to running local, state and federal campaigns across the country, Luke’s background allows him to anticipate and help clients look around corners and navigate today’s unpredictable environment. Marchant will help expand the firm’s footprint to Texas, He has won several awards for his work, including winning the American Association of Political Consultants “Best of the Best” Pollie Award as well as being named to MavPac’s 40 under 40.

Michael and Luke bring a wealth of public affairs expertise to the BSG team and will help our clients cut through the clutter and solve problems,” said Bullpen Strategy Group CEO Joe Pounder. “With people now in Washington, D.C., Dallas and London, BSG is growing – not only who we are, but where we are – making our firm uniquely situated to offer the insights, experience and connections that businesses need to employ smart, aggressive public affairs strategies.”

BSG also announced the promotion of Merav Ceren to Senior Vice President, where she will help lead the firm’s growing research and analysis practice. Since joining BSG in 2019, Ceren has played an integral role in delivering strategic insights and guidance to a wide array of clients in the corporate sector. New additions to the Analysis team include Joe Chaudoin, who will serve as Vice President and Rob Simpson as Senior Director. Chaudoin joins the BSG team from America Rising, where he served as Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs, working with campaigns across the country to craft political and policy-related messaging. Simpson previously worked for the Republican Attorneys General Association where he served as research director and deputy political director.

Rounding out BSG’s growing team includes the addition of Christian Martinez, who joins the firm as a Director in our strategic communications practice. Martinez brings extensive rapid response and content creation experience to BSG and will focus on helping clients meet their communications goals.