FSB Public Affairs Announces Los Angeles Office and New Hires

Over the past 20 years, John has played important roles on political, public affairs and corporate social responsibility campaigns across the country and internationally including helping to pioneer domestic and international digital advocacy strategies for foreign governments, Fortune 100 companies and international nonprofit organizations. Most recently, John was a managing director leading the public affairs practice for Group SJR, a New York digital strategy firm owned by WPP.  Previously, he ran the Washington D.C. office for the California Department of Education, advised legislative leadership on policy and political strategy and lobbied for the California Chamber of Commerce.

Experience:

• 15 years in several key roles at the California State Capitol. 
• Housing & Land Use, Banking & Finance, Education lobbyist for the California Chamber of Commerce representing the California business community.
• Ran select field operations and special projects for two Speakers of the California State Assembly
• Managed federal affairs for the California Department of Education under Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson
• Managing Director at a leading NYC digital strategy firm Group SJR (owned by WPP) and led corporate communications and digital content strategy efforts for Fortune 100 companies, foreign governments and international nonprofits. 

Just named #1 public relations firms by fee income on the Sacramento Business Journal’s Top Public Relations List, Cherri has been one of the firm’s three owners since 2012. She has managed day-to-day efforts and multi-million dollar budgets on behalf of a number of statewide and local initiative and referendum campaigns, Fortune 500 companies, local government agencies, non-profit organizations and associations.

Since 2012 she has lead the firm’s Latino Outreach and Spanish-Language team. Assimilating to the language and culture through study and living abroad, Cherri has spent much of her career developing and implementing culturally appropriate strategies for her clients. Her extensive experience and sage counsel makes her the go-to choice for clients seeking to deliver their messages to the Latino community.

Her record of success coupled with her unique collaborative approach to ballot initiative campaigns and traditional corporate public affairs programs has earned her a national reputation for being an intentional, strategic leader and a masterful tactical implementor. Cherri’s passion, dedication and vivacious spirit makes her a client favorite.

Experience:

• Seven years with FSB Core Strategies
• 20 years in public relations, public affairs, multicultural communications and ballot initiative campaigns with Porter Novelli, Edelman, VSP and California State University, Chico
• Experienced in health care, education, transportation, insurance, tort reform, land use and patient advocacy issues
• Served as Campaign Manager or Deputy Campaign Manager for 15 Statewide, Regional, and Local Ballot Initiatives in Transportation, Education, Land Use, Public Safety, Health Care and Tort Reform

Community Involvement:

• Commissioner, Economic Development Commission, City of Lincoln
• President, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
• Board Member, Visit Placer
• Board Member, Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center
• Director at Large, CSU Chico Department of Public Relations & Journalism Advisory Board
• Sustaining Member, Junior League of Sacramento
• Member, California Women’s Leadership Association
• Member, California State Railroad Museum Foundation
• Member, Crocker Art Museum

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, California State University, Chico
• Minor, Spanish
• Minor, Art History

Jerry serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the firm. Based in Orange County, Jerry serves as General Manager of the Orange County office and leads business development efforts throughout the southern California region.  Jerry possesses nearly 40 years of real estate and land use law, business and corporate law, political and government experience.

Experience:

• Seven years at FSB
• Ten years in public office, including Council Member, Mayor and as a Board Member and Chairman of several regional government agencies
• Nearly 40 years of practicing law in complex transactions and litigation in California; Admitted to all California State and Federal courts and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Community Involvement:

• Former Mayor, City of Tustin
• Former Chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors
• Former Chairman of the Transportation Corridor Authority (TCA) Board of Directors
• Former Member of LOSSAN Board of Directors
• Past President, California League of Cities, Orange County Division
• Past President, Association of California Cities, Orange County
• Former Chair/Past Chair/Board Member of multiple Boards, the Irvine Chamber of Commerce, The Irvine and Tustin Exchange Clubs and the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, among others
• Instructor / Lecturer on Public Policy at various So. Cal Universities & Colleges
• Former member of the Association of California Cities Emeritus Council
• Current Chair of Heroes and Healthy Families
• Former Host, The City Square radio show on OC Talk Radio
• Current Host, Java with Jerry Radio Show / Podcast

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, UCLA
• Juris Doctor, Southwestern University School of Law

Frank Rizzo is President of FSB Public Affairs. He has over twenty-five years of political and public affairs experience and has led grassroots public affairs campaigns in over forty states and Canada. He is an expert at developing and managing grassroots campaigns to influence legislative, regulatory, and policy decisions at the federal, state, and local level for corporate and trade association clients. Frank has also managed various ballot and independent expenditure campaigns around the country. Frank has worked some of the country’s largest companies on wind and solar energy projects, cannabis issues, waste facilities, and mixed-use and commercial developments. His experience with community outreach extends to projects involving NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), as well as many state and local environmental regulations around the country.

Experience:

Frank spent fifteen years working on political campaigns throughout the country at all levels including presidential campaigns, congressional races, legislative and county races. He has also worked for some of the country’s leading political consulting firms producing television, radio, and direct mail advertisements.

• Founding Partner at Five Corners Strategies
• Division Manager at Saint Consulting
• Service Employees International Union
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
• White House Office of Management and Budget

Community Involvement:

• East Bay Leadership Council

• Impact Diablo Valley, Founding Member

• Public Affairs Council

Education:

• Harvard Business School’s “Leading Professional Services Firms” program
• University of California-Davis CEQA CLE land-use program
• MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program “Deal with an Angry Public”
• Masters in Public Policy, The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University of Albany in New York
• Bachelor of Science, History, and Politics from Drexel University in Pennsylvania

Bill has more than 25 years’ experience representing companies, trade associations, industry coalitions and nonprofits seeking to tell their side of the story on a variety of local, state and federal issues. He specializes in helping clients develop the right messages and strategies to identify and recruit allies, speak credibly and persuasively to a variety of stakeholder audiences and work productively with the media. His expertise in strategic communications, issues management, digital advocacy, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, community outreach and media relations makes him a valuable addition to the FSB Public Affairs team.

Experience:

• More than 25 years’ experience in public affairs, communications and marketing, including 21+ years with a major, international public affairs firm operating in Sacramento and northern California.
• Multiple communication and outreach campaigns to educate and influence decision makers, reporters and local communities on issues such as environmental regulations and investigations, toxic contamination and cleanup, permitting, and litigation.
• Experienced in energy and natural resources, conservation, environmental contamination, flood control, civil justice reform, health care, land use, and public safety.
• Expertise in advising and training executives, CEOs and company spokespeople on how to work with the media on controversial issues, and frequent on-the-record media spokesperson on behalf of clients.
• Direct experience in numerous campaigns to build, organize, and mobilize coalitions for and against proposed legislation, regulations and ballot issues.
• Multiple communication and outreach strategies to educate and influence decision makers, reporters and local communities on issues such as environmental regulations and investigations, toxic contamination and cleanup, permitting, and litigation.

Community Involvement:

• Volunteer Educator, Break Free
• Board Member and graduate of Leadership Sacramento, Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
• Board member and president, Sacramento Public Relations Association
• Commanding Officer, The West Coast Avengers
• Volunteer – Communications, California Game Wardens Foundation
• Parent Volunteer – Boy Scout Troop 94

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Communications Studies—Public Relations Emphasis, California State University, Sacramento

Alex Burrola possesses over 20 years of experience in political campaigns, government relations and public affairs. Based in the firm’s Southern California office, Alex is an integral member of FSB’s Public Affairs practice. Serving in a leadership capacity for many of the firm’s key public affairs and political clients, Alex’s coalition building, grassroots mobilization, and communications strategies have been essential to the success of FSB’s clients.

Experience:

• Seven years with FSB
• Two years at Cerrell Associates

Community Involvement:

• Board Member, North Orange County Chamber of Commerce
• Chairman, North Orange County Chamber PAC
• Member, Orange County Public Affairs Association
• Former Member, Fullerton Transportation Commission

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, History and Bachelor of Arts, Political Science – Whittier College
• Graduate, Public Policy Making Academy – University of California, Irvine

Betty has six years of combined experience working with the Latino community in a variety of projects ranging from news production, grass roots and community outreach, campaign awareness, and social media management. She has been an essential connection between companies and the community, and often times, Betty has served as the official Spanish language spokesperson for in-camera interviews. Betty has also created communications’ plans for OCTA to reach diverse audiences and has collaborated on their outreach efforts.

Prior to her work with FSB, Betty worked at VPE Public Relations with the LA County Department of Public Health on their campaign “Champions for Change,” an initiative to create awareness about healthier food options, and La CLAVE, a mental health outreach campaign founded by the University of Southern California (USC).

Relevant Experience
• Ford Latino- Communications Manager for the LA region
• OCTA I-5 Central Improvement Project- Diversity outreach coordinator
• OCTA Express Lanes- Communications specialist
• Champions for Change- Account Coordinator
• La Clave- Assistant Account Executive
• Telemundo 52- Associate Producer Internship

Community Involvement
• Treasurer and Founding Board Member, Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA)/Orange County Chapter
• Member, National Latina Business Women Association-Los Angeles (NLBWA-LA)
• Member, Latino Communications Institute at Cal State Fullerton

Education
• Bachelor of Arts, Communications/Public Relations, California State University, Fullerton
• Minor, Human Communications

Julie is an Assistant Account Executive with FSB in our southern California office, predominantly working within our Public Relations and Public Affairs Practice Areas. She assists with communication efforts, content production and general public relations projects, as well as assists with the firm’s marketing efforts.

Experience:

• Intern – FSB Core Strategies
• Freelance Content Producer – Tender Loving Coffee
• Editorial Director – Tehama Group Communications
• Editorial Lead – Tehama Group Communications
• Web Designer – Gamma Phi Beta, Epsilon Kappa Chapter
• Event Specialist – Gamma Phi Beta Epsilon Kappa Chapter
• Vice President of Public Relations – Panhellenic Council, California State University, Chico

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Journalism -Public Relations, California State University, Chico
• Minor in Music

Nancy is an Account Executive based in our Sacramento office. She assists with campaigns, media relations, PAC administration, event production and various public affairs projects. Nancy also assists with the firm’s marketing efforts. 

Experience:

• 2 years with FSB PA
• Public Affairs Coordinator- The Core Management Company
• Intern- FSB Core Strategies
• Marketing and Communications Intern- Sacramento Metro Chamber

Community Involvement:

• Member, Metro Edge

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies- Public Relations Emphasis, California State University, Sacramento

Miranda Pinto joined the FSB team as our Administrative Services Director. Miranda brings nearly 15 years of experience in administrative management which includes finances, human resources, employee development, and office management.

Experience:

• 13 years as Administrative Accounting Assistant/Office Manager for private educators
• Two years as Office Manager for a mergers and acquisitions firm

Education:

• Obtaining a degree in Business Administration