Drumfire’s team members come to us with a wide variety of backgrounds – Capitol Hill, PR agencies, the think tank community, the news media – to ensure we can help a client with any challenge, large or small, inside the Beltway and beyond.
Based in Washington D.C., Drumfire also maintains a staff presence in Seattle, Washington.
Aaron Saunders
Kathryn Rodriguez
Sam Jefferies
Jennifer Suzara
Sarah Goldsmith
Founder and CEO
P: (202) 864-4151
E: asaunders at drumfirepa dot com
Aaron Saunders has the rare distinction of serving as senior staff for both a Republican and Democrat. This experience has allowed Aaron to maintain meaningful relationships with contacts from across the political spectrum, both on and off Capitol Hill. During his five years with Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Aaron was the national on-the-record spokesperson, including during Senator Stevens’ time as Chairman of the Senate Commerce and Appropriations Committees. Aaron went on to serve as the communications director for Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) for two years, including serving as spokesperson for the Senator during the BP oil spill. In 2010, Aaron joined a nationally recognized crisis communication and public affairs firm. Over his five years there, he rose to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer where he managed the firm’s day-to-day operations. Aaron led accounts for Fortune 500 companies and trade associations in the consumer products, defense, education, energy, health care, manufacturing, and technology sectors. He has extensive experience communicating complex issues and gaining regulatory and legislative support for products and technologies that upset the status quo and draw intense scrutiny. Today, he performs a variety of public affairs functions – including strategic planning and counsel, crisis training and management, media engagement, media training, and coalition building – for his firm’s diverse group of clients.
Vice President
P: (202) 864-4152
E: krodriguez at drumfirepa dot com
Kathryn Rodriguez has extensive experience in both non-profit and corporate communications. For three years, Kathryn served as the public relations director for the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) at George Mason University, a non-profit organization dedicated to correcting scientific misinformation in the media. In this role, Kathryn frequently worked with scientific experts, academics, and journalists to pitch and place articles and to correct misinformation in published works. As a result of this regular outreach, she developed – and still maintains – a network of media and advocacy contacts. During her time at STATS, Kathryn worked on a wide range of diverse regulatory and public policy issues. In 2014, Kathryn joined a nationally recognized crisis communication and public affairs firm. During her time there, Kathryn completed large-scale research and landscape analysis projects for a variety of clients and worked to advance clients’ position as thought leaders inside the Beltway and beyond. She joined Drumfire Public Affairs in 2016, and today services accounts for Fortune 500 companies and trade associations, specializing in digital and social media strategy and management, media outreach, communications materials development, strategic planning, and ally engagement and mobilization.
Vice President
P: (425) 256-0655
E: sjefferies at drumfirepa dot com
Sam Jefferies is a communications and advocacy professional with experience managing corporate advocacy campaigns targeting all levels of government, from local and state to international. As a Vice President at a national crisis communications and public affairs firm, he worked regularly to build both formal and informal coalitions to drive progress. This work has led to legislative advancement, regulatory rollback, and multimillion dollar legal and contract dispute settlements. His work has been cross-sectoral, with a particular focus on health care, chemicals and heavy manufacturing, energy, and food and agriculture. Sam previously worked as an international trade and investment lobbyist, managing a business-community coalition in support of trade liberalization, and conducting extensive outreach to the executive branch, Capitol Hill, and the diplomatic community. His international experience has focused on the Asia Pacific region, with additional work in Europe and Africa. Formerly a political strategist and legislative staffer in Wisconsin, he is now based in his hometown of Seattle, Washington.
Director of Media
P: (202) 864-4153
E: jsuzara at drumfirepa dot com
Jennifer Suzara helps a diverse set of clients develop smart and effective media strategies. Drawing from an extensive background in news producing and management, Jennifer specializes in positive story pitches and placements, successful media defense, and optimizing effective issue advocacy and messaging. She began her news career in New York City as an Assignment Editor at a Fox affiliate television station before heading to Fox News Channel where she became the Deputy Foreign Editor. Jennifer then headed to the nation’s capital to work at Fox News Channel’s Washington, D.C. bureau. During her seven years there, Jennifer was a newsroom producer covering political, national, and international news. While serving as a White House producer, she traveled extensively with President Barack Obama, eventually working her way to newsroom management, where she supervised a team of 15 DC-based producers.
Senior Associate
P: (202) 864-4157
E: sgoldsmith at drumfirepa dot com
Sarah Goldsmith started her career in public relations in New York City representing several wines and spirits brands before moving on to producing conferences, primarily within the health care and life sciences industries. Over the course of eight years and while based in NYC and London, she developed educational conferences focused on a range of topics, from Medicaid managed care to medical device marketing to CNS clinical trials. During her career organizing public events and conferences, Sarah has identified and recruited hundreds of subject matter experts to speak on panels and contribute to the public dialogue on a wide range of technical and public policy issues. At Drumfire Public Affairs, Sarah services clients in a number of industries by conducting issue research and analysis, engaging third-party experts, tracking traditional and social media coverage, organizing events, and preparing reports and presentations.