FOUNDERS
Samuel Chung
Sam is the Manager of Strategic Public Relations for the Western States Petroleum Association, which represents the largest companies within the petroleum exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing industries within Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Prior to joining WSPA, he served as Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Marc Steinorth, Policy Director for former Assemblyman Jeff Gorell and worked as the Policy Advisor on Gorell’s congressional campaign in 2014, and Capitol Director for Assemblywoman Audra Strickland.
Joon I. Kim
Joon is a Vice President at New Partners. Joon has over 15 years of experience in Democratic politics. His clients have include the Australian Labor Party, the AFL-CIO, MyWireless - the advocacy arm of the wireless phone trade association, Eli Lilly, Microsoft and numerous other organizations and causes. Prior to joining New Partners, Joon coordinated fourteen independent expenditure campaigns in six states winning seven races for the Communications Workers of America, the AFL-CIO, The Blue Green Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, VoteVets Action Fund, The American Worker Project. programs.
Jessica Ng
Jessica Ng is a Senior Vice President at Mercury Public Affairs. Jessica is a veteran of major statewide and national candidate and issue campaigns. Jessica most recently served as press secretary to California Republican gubernatorial nominee Neel Kashkari. She also served on the communications teams of Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign and Carly Fiorina’s 2010 U.S. Senate campaign. Jessica began her career working for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Courtni Pugh
Courtni Pugh is a Partner at Hilltop Public Solutions where she heads all California-based operations for the firm. In this role, she serves as Senior Political Advisor for Senate President pro tem Kevin de Leon and helps lead a number of initiatives for political and non-profit causes. Prior to joining Hilltop, Pugh served as Executive Director of SEIU Local 99. In this post, she helped lead negotiations for a landmark increase in the minimum wage for Los Angeles Unified School District employees. Hailed as a significant victory in the nationwide “Fight for $15,” the wage increase capped Courtni’s impressive career as the head of the local.
A veteran political strategist and community organizer, Pugh has managed numerous multi-million dollar independent expenditure campaigns in California. She began her career as a field organizer in Oakland, California. She later held senior posts in such campaigns as John Edwards for President, Kerry-Edwards 2004, and Gore-Lieberman 2000. She has also served as Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Danny Davis in Washington D.C.
Bill Wong
Bill Wong is a political strategist specializing in campaigns, public relations, & legislative advocacy. He served as an advisor on Asian American & Pacific Islander voter targeting to the California State Labor Federation's successful Million More Voters independent expenditure campaign in support of Jerry Brown for governor in 2010. The groundbreaking campaign set the industry standard for reaching and effectively persuading AAPI voters. Bill is the political director for the Asian American Small Business PAC that has contributed to the election of an unprecedented number of Asian American candidates to state legislative and constitutional offices in California through direct financial support or cutting edge independent expenditure campaigns. Bill has served as Chief of Staff to State Assembly Member Anthony Rendon, Chief of Staff to State Assembly Member Judy Chu, Chief of Staff and Press Secretary to State Senator Hilda L. Solis, and Legislative Director to State Assembly Member Mike Honda.