Jennifer Curley and her team bring more than 20 years of experience to high-level strategic communications and event planning. With diverse backgrounds in crisis communications, social marketing, politics and government, and performing arts, the Curley Company team approaches client projects with a unique and creative perspective.

Jennifer Curley
Founder and President

Jennifer has over two decades of strategic communications, public affairs, and event planning experience in both the public and private sectors.

Since founding Curley Company in 2002, Jennifer has designed and implemented successful communications strategies for clients including corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Her expertise includes reputation management, crisis and litigation communications, and influencer management. Jennifer works directly with her clients on a daily basis to create compelling messages and generate opportunities to successfully educate their critical audiences using both traditional and new media. She also acts as an on-the-record media spokesperson for clients as needed.

In addition, Jennifer creates and implements a wide variety of events such as galas, multi-day conferences, fundraisers, press conferences and Congressional briefings. She has worked with industry CEOs like former Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, high-level government officials including the President of the United States, Cabinet Members and Members of Congress, and celebrities such as Apolo Ohno.

Prior to forming Curley Company, Jennifer ran the East Coast office of VoteHere, Inc., where she directed the lobbying, public relations and grassroots divisions of the company, acted as a spokesperson to the media and the public, and testified before state legislative committees.

Jennifer previously served as a Vice President at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. Here, she ran the Technology Policy practice and managed crisis issues and corporate reputation for Microsoft Corporation throughout the Department of Justice v. Microsoft Corporation antitrust trial in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. She is also a recipient of the public relations industry 2001 Silver SABRE (Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation) Award for the “Free Instant Messaging” campaign.

Prior to Edelman, Jennifer spent several years in the Executive and Legislative Branches of the government and in presidential politics. During the Clinton Administration, she was a political appointee in the Protocol Office of the White House and Department of State. Jennifer also spent three years working for U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) and during the 1996 presidential campaign, she was Tipper Gore’s director of scheduling and advance. She also orchestrated several official events for the 1997 Presidential Inauguration.

In addition to consulting, Jennifer taught journalism and political science as an adjunct professor at the American University Washington Semester from 2003-2006.

Jennifer has a master’s degree in political science from American University and a bachelor’s degree in Government from St. Lawrence University. She is a member of the St. Lawrence University Board of Trustees, and a founder, board member, and Chief Financial Officer of the Foundation for Community Betterment.

Jennifer lives in Potomac, MD with her husband, Paul Reichert, and their two daughters.

Sarah Denhardt Cissna
Director of Events

Sarah comes to the Curley Company with fifteen years experience directing and planning events and productions. With a strong background in theatre, Sarah brings a creative and bottom-line oriented approach to Curley Company events. Her recent client work includes a multi-city celebrity book launch, an intimate meeting of technology industry insiders, and a large fundraising gala dinner.

Prior to joining Curley Company, Sarah worked at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Arena Stage, developing special events as successful parts of their overall fundraising strategies for donor cultivation and stewardship. Gala events include Arena’s “Play On!” and “Arena Stage in Oz” galas, and Woolly’s “Like…Totally Woolly!” benefit and “Dinner on Stage” fundraiser. Sarah has directed and stage managed from Washington, DC to Alaska, working at such theatres as the Guthrie Theatre, Perseverance Theatre, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and the Virginia Shakespeare Festival.

In addition to her work at Curley Company, Sarah is an active member of the International Special Events Society Greater Washington, DC chapter (ISES DC) and an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University, where she teaches the Festival and Special Events course in the Master of Arts Management program. Sarah holds a BA in Theatre from the College of William and Mary, an MFA in Directing from Catholic University, and the certificate in Event Management from George Washington University.

A native of Fairfax, Virginia, she now lives on Capitol Hill with her husband.

Ashley Duncan
Director of Communications

Ashley brings a broad range of skills in media relations, social marketing, event planning, and partnership development to Curley Company. She has directed high profile media campaigns and partnerships, signature communications programs, and strategic branding initiatives for non-profit organizations, federal government agencies, national research institutions, and private corporations.

Prior to joining Curley Company, Ashley managed social marketing campaigns at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide on behalf of organizations including the National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security, Lance Armstrong Foundation’s LIVESTRONG , United Service Organizations, and DuPont, among others.

Notably, Ashley directed media relations for the award-winning The Heart Truth^® campaign, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with support from partners including Diet Coke, Glamour magazine, and community groups across the country. In this role, she coordinated media outreach and onsite media activities for the Red Dress Collection Fashion Shows at New York Fashion Week and The Heart Truth^® Road Show, a traveling exhibit about women’s heart health.

Ashley holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently lives in Washington, DC.

Amanda Falk
Public Relations Associate

Amanda comes to Curley Company with experience in social media campaigns, event planning, and media relations. She is responsible for supporting a wide range of public relations projects including research, event management, materials, and development.

She formerly worked as a Program Coordinator for the University of California Riverside, where she helped implement nearly 50 programs a year including a speaker series, concerts and workshops. She created and organized the Power of Music concert, which brought in musical guests to perform acoustic sets and give commentary. As an undergraduate, Amanda interned with Apex Exposure, designing ways to promote bands and engage fans via social media profiles. In addition, she was a communications intern at MTV Networks, where she promoted and monitored press coverage of MTV programs. During this time, she was responsible for sending promotional materials to media outlets and coordinating logistical details for the Hard Times of RJ Berger press junket.

Amanda graduated from the University of California Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Visual Culture with an emphasis in Film and Visual Media, and a minor in Business Administration. She now lives in Washington, DC.

Strategic Partners

When needed, we add strategic partners to the Curley Company core team. They are experts in their respective fields, and enable us to provide the additional services and scope-specific projects required to best meet our clients’ needs.

Maria Colacurcio

Maria specializes in new media marketing strategy, working with Curley Company clients to improve communications through a combination of traditional marketing strategies and emerging digital technologies and platforms.

Prior to working with Curley Company, Maria co-founded Smartsheet.com, an online collaboration tool with a built-in workforce. As the Vice President of Marketing, Maria spearheaded the integration of new media technologies and managed online marketing strategies, including the corporate website, PPC, SEO, social media, and more traditional campaigns and programs. In addition, she developed in-depth usability campaigns for the software itself, as well as focus groups to gain feedback while developing the company’s brand platform.

For the past 10+ years, Maria has developed public relations strategies for technology companies in a variety of industries including collaboration, human resources, insurance, CRM, and networking. Recent companies include Onyx Software, Intellectual Ventures, and Microsoft, where she worked in consultant and in-house roles.

She began her career in Washington, DC working as a marketing associate for Smith, Bucklin and Associates, specializing in non-profit marketing and advertising.

Maria is passionate about her family, husband Brent Frei and four children. She is an avid marathon runner and lives in Bellevue, Washington.

Samantha Peterson

Samantha works with the Curley Company as an expert in graphic design, social media engagement, and technology policy.

Prior to working with the Curley Company, Samantha worked on Capitol Hill as an aide to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and the Senate International Narcotics Control Caucus, and as a Campaign Coordinator for a California Assembly candidate.

In addition, she was a graphic and web designer for the University of California San Diego and several private enterprises. Samantha received national recognition from the United States Department of Education for her Ronald E. McNair Fellowship research on “The Impact and Efficacy of AIDS Social Marketing in France and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Globalization of Health Promotion.”

Samantha received dual bachelor’s degrees from the University of California San Diego in Theatre and Dance, and International Studies with an emphasis in Political Science. She also attended the University of Ghana, West Africa. She currently resides in San Diego, California.

Matt Swanston

Strategic Partner

Matt is a blogger for Curley Company and a social media strategist with over 18 years of experience in corporate, agency and non-profit environments. He is an expert in multimedia production and has a long history of designing innovative, effective programs that get attention.

Previously, Matt served as Director, Industry Communications for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), where he designed and executed online communications campaigns and created content for traditional and new media channels including CompTIA web properties, blogs, podcasts, viral video, and social networks.

Before joining CompTIA, Matt spent nearly a decade at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), where he developed and implemented strategic public relations programs and served as media spokesperson for the home networking, home automation, and automotive electronics product categories. Matt identified and reported on hot products, emerging trends, and potential opportunities for CEA and the association’s trade show, the International CES. The International CES is the world’s largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology and America’s largest annual tradeshow of any kind.

Matt also served as an account executive at TMP Worldwide Advertising and Public Relations, designing and implementing communications and investor relations campaigns for technology clients, including CEA and Apple Computer.

Before studying in the UK for a year and earning a Bachelor of Science degree from New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, Matt worked as an automotive electronics technician, preparing two-way radio communication and ignition systems for NASCAR racecars. A native of Washington, DC, Matt now lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and two young sons.

Greg Wilson

Strategic Partner

Greg specializes in crisis communications, corporate communications, and digital reputation management. He has nearly 20 years of communications experience in public relations, public affairs, government relations and lobbying.

Prior to working with Curley Company, Greg served as Senior Vice President at Levick Strategic Communications, leading the firm’s legal services practice and providing crisis counsel. In this capacity, he managed publicity campaigns to build new business for clients through print, internet, radio and television exposure. For his crisis clients, Greg helped clients set and deliver messages, identify and train spokespeople, and manage media and internet exposure.

Greg also managed internal and external communications for Solutia Inc., a publicly traded chemical company, and was responsible for developing and executing an aggressive global public relations strategy spanning North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, as well as managing congressional and regulatory lobbying efforts. He managed business-level communications during the company’s announcement of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as well as subsequent business reorganization announcements. Greg also managed a multimillion dollar account portfolio as a vice president at Shandwick Public Affairs. His work has received several public relations industry awards, including the CIPRA and Bulldog awards.

In his capacity as public relations consultant, Greg has managed media and high-profile events on Capitol Hill, at the Supreme Court, and the National Press Club, as well on location with former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. He has briefed and prepared dozens of high-visibility speakers, including former Vice President Al Gore and former FEMA Director James Lee Witt, for media and business events. Greg began his career as a legislative and press aide on Capitol Hill for then-Representative James M. Inhofe (R-OK). In addition, he assisted Senator Robert Dole’s presidential campaign by managing surrogate media relations during the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego.

Greg is a graduate of Hamilton College with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, and he has completed executive education coursework in Marketing at the University of Chicago. He has served as a guest lecturer on crisis communications at Georgetown University, the University of Maryland, and Miami (Ohio) University.

Greg lives in Herndon, VA, with his wife and their three daughters.