RECENT CLIENTS
Roy Wells
Mike Acker
Todd Brysiak
Megan Dapp
Olivia Edwards
Rob Ghormoz
Rick Kelly
Michael Manzo
Daena Ortenzio
Yvonne Roberts
Doug Rohanna
Brendan Schubert
Andrea Updegrove
Jan Webb
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© 2018 Triad Strategies
Roy Wells, President and Managing Partner
Roy Wells is the public face of Triad Strategies, who took an idea and shaped it into one of Pennsylvania's most successful public affairs firms. He saw an industry that was stale and stagnant and turned it upside down by creating a full-service firm where clients had access not only to top-notch governmental relations, but also true communications, grassroots and business development professionals.
Before entering the private sector, Roy spent seven years working in the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. As deputy state treasurer, he directed the preparation, introduction, and passage of key legislation and served as liaison between the Treasury Department and House and Senate leadership and other members of the General Assembly.
Before that, he was a budget analyst for the House Appropriations Committee, working with the departments of Commerce, Corrections, Probation and Parole, Attorney General and Auditor General. He also had oversight responsibility for the Commonwealth's economic development programs and was the rural policy coordinator for the House majority caucus. He served as senior staff to both House and Senate.
rwells@triadstrategies.com
Mike Acker – Partner and Senior VP
Mike joined Triad after serving former Gov. Tom Ridge as executive deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, functioning as chief operating officer for the Commonwealth's fourth-largest state agency, with more than 6,000 employees and an operating budget of nearly $1 billion. He also served former Governors Dick Thornburgh and Mark Schweiker, and before that was an aide to U.S. Sen. John Heinz.
Mike is the driving force behind the Triad lobbying team and maintains an extensive network of relationships with some of the most prominent elected officials in the state, Republican and Democrat alike. In 2010, Gov. Tom Corbett tapped Mike to head his transition team on labor and workforce issues. He served on the transition advisory team of President George W. Bush in 2000 and was tapped by the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign to serve as a Pennsylvania Coalition leader.
macker@triadstrategies.com
Todd Brysiak, VP of Government Affairs
Prior to joining Triad in January 2018, Todd was a fixture in the Pennsylvania General Assembly for 13 years and earned a reputation as a key player in a world of complex issues. He served as chief of staff to the House majority leader, where he was front-and-center for every major public policy debate.
With significant experience in both the policy development and public outreach arenas, Todd honed his skills while serving as executive director of the Republican Policy Committee and director of communications for the House Republican Appropriations Committee. He also served as communications director for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry, the state's largest broad-based business association.
Todd's resume of success includes leading negotiations on the state's nationally recognized pension reform law of 2017, business tax reforms, securing funding for high-tech start-up companies and orchestrating the deal on the state's unemployment compensation law relating to seasonal workers.
tbrysiak@triadstrategies.com
Megan Dapp, Senior Associate
Megan joins the Triad team as a Senior Associate. She brings nearly 15 years of public affairs experience in several industry sectors including healthcare, energy and education.
She spent the past 11 years working at a Harrisburg-based public affairs firm where she successfully developed and executed multi-faceted advocacy campaigns on behalf of a variety of clients. Megan has managed public affairs campaigns at both the state and federal levels.
Prior to that, she served as the State Advocacy Director for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, where she represented the organization to the state legislature.
Megan is a native of central Pennsylvania and is a graduate from Dickinson College.
Olivia Edwards – Associate
Olivia joined Triad last year and quickly became a valued member of the team. Before that, she spent a year in Washington, first as a congressional intern focusing on trade and commerce, then as a research and policy writer for Citigroup assigned to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. She then worked for a year in Harrisburg as a House staff member before coming to Triad. She is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a B.A. in political science and a minor in law & society.
oedwards@triadstrategies.com
Twitter: @OliviaEdwardsPA
Rob Ghormoz, Senior Associate
Rob joined Triad following several years as a senior member of Governor Tom Wolf's staff. During Governor Wolf's first term, Rob served as Deputy Chief of Staff and chief speechwriter. During his tenure as Deputy Chief of staff, Rob focused on public safety and energy and the environment. Following that, he was tapped to serve as a senior adviser to the Governor's successful re-election campaign and then to lead his 2019 Inauguration. Prior to working with Governor Wolf,Rob was a member of Senator Bob Casey's staff.
Named a 2014 PoliticsPA "30 under 30 Rising Star," and an "Inaugural 40 under 40 Rising Star," by City & State Pennsylvania in 2016, Rob brings a comprehensive understanding of both campaigns and the legislative process to Triad, as well as a knowledge of the functions and operations of the Governor's Office and executive agencies.
Rob holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government from Penn State University.
rghormoz@triadstrategies.com
Rick Kelly, VP of Strategic Communications
Rick has parlayed his experience in the news media and as a corporate communications manager into a successful strategic communications consultancy, which includes national and international clients as well as those closer to home.
He has managed communications for merger and acquisition clients, directed successful community outreach efforts and undertaken numerous issue management and crisis communication assignments for a variety of organizations. He was the de facto communications director for Associated Pennsylvania Constructors during its successful multi-year effort to advance a transportation funding measure. Known as Act 89 of 2013, the measure increased Pennsylvania's transportation funding by $2.3 billion per year.
In addition to project work, Rick is in demand as a media coach and message trainer. His clients have appeared on 60 Minutes, 20/20 and in a variety of other high-profile, high-pressure broadcast and print media venues. He has received various journalism and professional communicators' awards and holds a B.A. in journalism and an MBA.
rkelly@triadstrategies.com
Michael Manzo – Senior VP of Government Affairs
Michael came to Triad after serving as chief of staff to the House majority leader in Pennsylvania, as well as stints as president of two successful consulting firms. While in government, Mike held positions across the spectrum, from his start as a staff writer for the House Conservation Committee, executive director of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and press secretary and spokesman for the House Democrats. Running the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Mike established long-lasting relationships with scores of legislators and senior staff members from both sides of the aisle, and both legislative chambers.
Mike's policy background includes having a hand in multiple state budgets, Gov. Ed Rendell's economic development initiatives, transportation funding, environmental issues, alternative energy standards, overtime policy for nurses, minimum wage and the slots gaming law.
mmanzo@triadstrategies.com
Twitter: @michaelmanzo90
Daena Ortenzio, Associate
Daena joins the Triad team as a public affairs associate after serving four years as a legislative staff member in the state House and Senate.
Her career in state government began with an internship with House Majority Leader Dave Reed, which led to a full-time research analyst position in that office. From there, she transitioned to the Senate, working as the executive director of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee for Sen. Tom McGarrigle. She most recently served as policy and correspondence coordinator for Sen. Dave Argall, handling communications. She created a weekly e-newsletter, drafted news releases and responded to constituents.
Daena is a central Pennsylvania native and moved back to her hometown following graduation from Lock Haven University.
dortenzio@triadstrategies.com
Yvonne F. Roberts, Director, Philadelphia Office
Few cities in America have a municipal government that can be as tough, byzantine and fiery as Philadelphia. But it is within the walls of Philadelphia City Hall that you will find Yvonne Roberts, navigating the tough waters, meeting with top decision makers, and generally making it look like the easiest job in the world. Smooth, tough and unflappable, Yvonne is the director, and the heart and soul, of Triad's Philadelphia office.
Her contacts constitute the definitive list of Philadelphia's leaders, from the business community, to legislators and city council members, from Mayor Jim Kenney, to council members; from freshmen state Representatives to powerful Senate Appropriations Chairman Vince Hughes and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr.
A seasoned lobbyist, negotiator and community relations specialist, her clients represent corporate, public and nonprofit sectors on the local, regional and national levels. Her multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, a product of more than 30 years of working in public relations, politics and business, sets her apart as a practitioner and gives Triad's clients a critical edge when dealing with the city, Congress, or the U.S. Senate.
Yvonne's relationships with a diverse array of Philadelphia special interest groups and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus have enabled her to assist with numerous community outreach initiatives, and she has unparalleled skill in resolving conflicts and finding the common ground, something not always in abundance in the rough-and-tumble world of Philly politics.
After establishing a full-service consulting agency in 1982, her career path eventually brought her to Triad in 2001. Along the way, her clients have included Rite Aid, Proctor & Gamble, R.J. Reynolds, Conrail, Comcast, the Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Co., the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the African American Historical and Cultural Museum of Philadelphia, and Sony Music Entertainment.
More recently, she has worked with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Mercy Hospital, Delaware Valley Community Health, Moore College of Art, the Inglis Foundation, LogistiCare, Lutheran Settlement and Baseball at 30th Street.
yroberts@triadstrategies.com
Doug Rohanna – VP of Public Affairs
With more than 20 years of public policy experience serving in a wide variety of roles in the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as the private sector, Doug has earned the respect of leaders from both political parties. He has served as director of communications for Gov. Ed Rendell, as deputy state treasurer, as chief of staff to the Pennsylvania House minority leader, and as vice president of government relations for a Harrisburg public affairs firm.
He has successfully managed public affairs campaigns and advocated for clients at the local, state and federal levels. He has demonstrated an ability to build expertise in new areas, develop and maintain relationships with individuals and groups, and build consensus among those with diverse interests.
drohanna@triadstrategies.com
Brendan Schubert – Senior Associate
Brendan joined Triad in Pittsburgh after serving as manager of external affairs and as spokesman for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. Before that, he was with the City of Pittsburgh's Planning Department, working on several prominent projects and zoning board cases that required outreach initiatives. Brendan's career started with the state House of Representatives for a veteran legislator from western Pennsylvania.
Having developed his outreach skills from the ground up, Brendan maintains an extensive list of community contacts throughout western Pennsylvania, in business, community leadership and political circles, as well as the nonprofit community.
bschubert@triadstrategies.com
It isn't always easy to find Andrea Updegrove, shielded as she is by stacks of spreadsheets, folders, invoices, contracts and all other manner of crucial documents, but trust us, she is there, making sure the trains run on time.
As business manager, Andrea makes sure that the bulldog stays fed. She manages accounts receivable and accounts payable, generating invoices, producing checks, preparing monthly account analyses and coordinating payroll.
Andrea joined Triad after working her way up through the accounting department at Keystone Peer Review Organization, Inc. Before that, she held accounting jobs with Cleveland Brothers Equipment, the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg and Pennsylvania Blue Shield.
She holds an associate's degree in business administration from Harrisburg Area Community College, and she is working toward a bachelor's degree in accounting.
aupdegrove@triadstrategies.com
Jan Webb, Administrative Assistant
Jan brings extensive experience and a distinct skill set to Triad from supporting executives and departments at various companies. Her unique perspective is a tremendous asset for our growing public affairs firm.
Most recently, Jan served as a government relations research analyst for a statewide professional membership association where she researched legislation, drafted bill analyses, composed letters to legislators and compiled grant applications. Prior to this role, she was a member service
specialist where her duties consisted of membership engagement, project management and operations.
Additionally, Jan held an HR position for a Harrisburg-based advertising agency for six years where she was responsible for employee recruitment, onboarding and training. She transitioned to HR after serving as the agency's executive assistant.
Jan lives in Middletown, PA with her husband and two children and she serves as Board President of Middletown Swim Club. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications/Mass Communications from Elizabethtown College.
jwebb@triadstrategies.com