Howard Consulting Group Continues to Expand

Howard Consulting Group is continuing to expand and today announced the addition of four new staff members. HCG is a versatile boutique firm made up of experienced public affairs professionals guiding clients engaged in high stakes enterprises--domestic and international--with tactical, creative advice and vigorous execution of strategic plans.

Joining HCG:

Erica Hiar, Project Associate

Erica is a Project Associate at HCG specializing in grassroots mobilization, third-party outreach, and coalition building. Hiar is an accomplished organizer who ran offices in Michigan and North Carolina for President Obama's campaign in 2008 by assisting building coalitions and directly managing over 100 volunteers.

Erin Oldfield, Associate

Erin is an Associate at HCG focused on new media strategy, event planning and execution, media relations and writing. Erin comes to HCG from Capitol Hill where she advised Members of Congress on earned media as well as science and technology issues. Erin most recently worked for Representative Dave Loebsack (D- Iowa) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

Erin Thurston, Associate

Erin is an Associate at HCG who will also assist clients with earned media, strategic planning, writing and new media. Erin also comes to HCG from Capitol Hill having worked for Representative Jay Inslee, (D-WA). Thurston has also worked in public affairs, commercial real estate and for the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus as a writer and media advisor.

Brynnan Wammack, Associate

Brynnan is an Associate at HCG. Wammack provides grassroots advocacy, third-party outreach and coalition building for clients' health care and health innovation initiatives. Prior to joining HCG, Wammack worked in the offices of the White House Liaison and National Outreach at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as Deputy Director of National Outreach.

Oldfield and Thurston will report to Dan Ronayne who was brought on last year as Managing Director for Communications at HCG. Ronayne is a respected strategic communicator who has worked in senior capacities on behalf Fortune 500 companies, high profile individuals, presidential campaigns, federal and state governments and national political committees.

Hiar and Wammack report to John Marchant, Senior Director of Public Affairs at HCG. Marchant has organized grassroots and grass-tops coalitions made up of local environmental, business, labor, and faith-based groups for nearly a decade. Marchant has years of campaign and government experience with the Democratic Party and other progressive groups working in nearly a dozen states for presidential campaigns, constituent service offices, ballot initiatives, congressional races and state legislative caucuses.

Bios of all of Howard Consulting Group staff can be found at www.hcgpublicaffairs.com.

HCG specializes in public affairs, coalitions, issue management, public policy, public relations, media, and international affairs. Our clients, many of them longtime, include two of the top five largest advocacy organizations in the United States and four of the top fifty.

HCG was founded in 1995 by Frank Howard who is still personally involved with every client lending his experienced hands to help clients meet their strategic imperatives in these uncertain and challenging times.