Former U.S. Department of Energy Director of Public Affairs Amanda Finney joins as Vice President, Reputation Management
Omnicom and VML vet Betsy Ralston joins as Vice President and Group Creative Director
Washington D.C. — Avoq today announced additions to senior leadership in New York, adding to client capabilities. These moves further strengthen Avoq’s combination of public affairs, reputation management, creative and digital services in the New York market to support clients with high-stakes situations and campaigns.
“We are quickly gaining momentum in the New York market and see clients wanting access to senior leaders in both crisis and reputation work as well as creative services. Our ability to bring top level talent across all disciplines will help us continue to make our mark in New York,” said Avoq CEO Nicole Cornish.
Amanda Finney, a seasoned communications leader with extensive communications and reputation management experience, joins as a Vice President in the company’s New York office on the Reputation Management team. Amanda specializes in strategic communications, public affairs, media relations, digital strategy and campaigns. With over a decade of experience across corporate, government and nonprofit sectors, she brings a deep understanding of the diverse perspectives held by federal, state and local leaders, as well as the private sector.
Finney most recently served as Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy, after previously being Deputy Director, where she led the agency’s messaging and media relations strategies. She previously worked as Chief of Staff to the White House Press Office and Special Assistant to Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Prior to her work in the Biden- Harris administration, Amanda worked as Associate Director of Policy and Communications at Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet company, and spent several years in Marketing and Communications at Microsoft. Her political experience includes roles as National Deputy Women’s Outreach Director for the Mike Bloomberg campaign, Louisiana State Director for Hillary for America and state organizer during President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. A South Carolina native, she is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.
Betsy Ralston, an award-winning creative director, has joined Avoq as Vice President and Group Creative Director within its Creative & Production team. Ralston will be based in the firm’s New York office. Ralston most recently served as Executive Creative Director at Organic, an agency within the Omnicom network. Before joining Organic, she was a Creative Director at VML. Ralston’s work has received numerous awards, including recognition from Cannes Lions, the ADC Awards, Clios, American Advertising Awards, Webby, IAC and OneShow. Early in her career journey, Ralston was a writer at Hallmark Cards, where her knack for emotion-driven storytelling first flourished. A proud graduate of the Journalism School at the University of Missouri, Ralston resides in New York City, where she continues to inspire emerging talent and champion innovative ideas in the ever-evolving world of advertising.
Other Recent Additions to New York’s Senior Talent
These latest investments in talent continue the momentum from recent additions to Avoq’s New York team over the past year.
Byron Calamese joined Avoq as Chief Strategy Officer following his role at Zeno Group as Global Head of Innovation, where he was responsible for driving cross-functional innovation and strategic growth initiatives, while also leading digital and brand marketing practices worldwide.
Andrea Hagelgans joined Avoq as Senior Vice President from Edelman, where she held roles as Managing Director of U.S. Social Issues Engagement, Head of Corporate Reputation for the New York region and Managing Director, New York Corporate and Public Affairs.
Jaclyn Rothenberg, Senior Vice President, recently joined Avoq after serving as Director of Public Affairs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She has also served in senior communications and press roles for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Ethan Lyle, joined as General Manager after previously serving as Executive Director and co-leader of the Americas region for a boutique marketing and communications agency.
About Avoq
Avoq is an integrated firm that combines communications and advocacy to creatively shape narratives, manage brand reputation, influence national debates, and engage the audiences you need to reach. Avoq’s 200+ employees work from offices in Washington D.C., Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Miami. Avoq is a portfolio company of Coral Tree Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm focused on investments in the media, entertainment and communications sectors. Visit teamavoq.com to learn more.
