PRINCIPLE. PASSION. PURPOSE.
Fulcrum Public Affairs is a full-service, bipartisan government affairs firm specializing in federal, state, and local advocacy as well as stakeholder coalition building and management. We represent Fortune 100 companies, innovative start-ups, and mission-driven nonprofits.
In The News
- Fulcrum Public Affairs Named in Bloomberg Government’s Top-Performing Lobbying Firms of 2024 Report
- Oscar Ramirez and Dana Thompson Named to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists of 2023 List
- Fulcrum Public Affairs Named 2022 Top-Performing Firm by Bloomberg Government
- Fulcrum Public Affairs Welcomes Emily Lavery
For past media mentions, click here.
What We Do
At Fulcrum, we leverage our wide-ranging backgrounds to give clients reach into all spheres of influence – from Congress and the Administration to state and local policymakers to think tanks and advocacy groups. Our dynamic team’s campaign-style approach yields innovative strategies that give our clients a seat at the table to achieve successful outcomes.
Federal Lobbying · Our team has years of experience in Congress, in presidential administrations, and on political campaigns. We have strong relationships with the Administration and Congress, including Congressional leadership, committees, caucuses, and key staff that influence the legislative process.We have————————————————————————————————————————————–
Our services include:
• Strategic planning and stakeholder mapping
• Meeting preparation, scheduling, and staffing
• Advancing policy proposals through the legislative process
• Legislative monitoring and analysis
• Identifying and securing thought leadership opportunities
• Planning, management, and execution of advocacy fly-ins
• Hearing analysis and policy briefs
• Witness preparation for hearings
• Monthly newsletters
• Off the record policy convenings
• Networking events with elected officials and key stakeholders
State and Local Advocacy · Our team has worked at the highest levels with governors, mayors, and other local elected officials. We leverage these long-standing relationships to advocate on behalf of our clients with state legislatures, the nation’s governors, and national associations representing state and local elected officials.We have————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Our services include:
• Strategic planning and stakeholder mapping
• Meeting preparation, scheduling, and staffing
• Advancing policy proposals through the legislative process
• Legislative monitoring and analysis
• Identifying and securing thought leadership opportunities
• Planning, management, and execution of advocacy fly-ins
• Hearing analysis and policy briefs
• Witness preparation for hearings
Stakeholder Coalitions · Our team has longstanding relationships with local and national organizations that influence federal and state policy. We align the shared interests of these stakeholder groups with those of our clients, build coalitions, and manage their advocacy work. Whether we are working with center-left or center-right organizations, our team provides a platform for our clients to partner with these groups to advance common goals. We have——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Our services include:
• Development of strategic roadmaps to amplify our clients’ priorities
• Third-party stakeholder identification and engagement
• Stakeholder coalition building and management
• Brand building within the policymaker and stakeholder communities
• Identifying and securing thought leadership opportunities

WHO WE ARE
We have decades of experience serving at the pinnacle of policy, politics and advocacy. Our strategists have held senior-level positions in Congress and presidential administrations. Our holistic view of the legislative and political processes allows us to effectively educate and advocate on behalf of our clients.
Bloomberg Government named Fulcrum the “top-earning new firm” of 2019 and has ranked the firm as a “top-performing lobbying firm” since 2020. Fulcrum has been recognized as one of “Washington’s fastest-growing lobby shops” by The Hill. Fulcrum was also recently named one of the lobbying firms “poised to do well in the new Washington” by Punchbowl News.
OSCAR RAMIREZ
Partner & Co-Founder
(202) 365-2971
[email protected]
Administration
U.S. Department of Labor, Obama Administration
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Al Green (D-TX-09)
Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA-32)
Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA-32)
Oscar is a seasoned Democratic strategist with more than two decades of policy and political experience in senior roles on Capitol Hill, on national political campaigns, in the Obama Administration, and at other government relations firms. In the Obama Administration, Oscar served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of Labor. He spent seven years on Capitol Hill as chief of staff and legislative director for three members of Congress. While on the Hill, he served as president of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association. Oscar also worked on the presidential campaigns of John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. He served as vice chair of the Maryland Democratic Party from 2010 to 2014 and as a member of the Democratic National Committee.
Oscar has been recognized as a “Top Lobbyist” by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics, one of DC’s “Top Lobbyists” by The Hill, one of Washington’s “most influential movers and shakers under 40″ by Washington Life Magazine, and as one of the top “40 Under 40 Latinos in American Politics” by The Huffington Post.
Oscar is CEO of SUYANA Investments, a minority-owned investment group. SUYANA’s first investment, MITA, earned a MICHELIN star in 2024. Oscar is the father of three very smart dogs, Dug (RIP), Lucy and Milo.
DANA THOMPSON
Partner & Co-Founder
(202) 297-3688
[email protected]
State-Level
Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD)
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18)
Dana has nearly 20 years of experience in federal and state government, as well as federal and state government relations. He has developed strong connections on Capitol Hill as well as in governors’ offices, state agencies, and advocacy organizations on both sides of the aisle. On the Hill, Dana served as chief of staff and legislative director to members of the House of Representatives, including House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
Dana was the first African American to serve as director of a U.S. governor’s Washington, DC office and now has personal relationships with governors, state attorneys general, state legislative leaders, and others. Under the administration of former Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD) and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (who now serves as Maryland Attorney General), Dana acted as the Governor’s key liaison to the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association and worked closely with Congressional leadership and the Maryland Congressional delegation, including many who now serve in senior roles in the administration of Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) – in addition to having a personal relationship with the Governor.
Dana has repeatedly been recognized as one of DC’s “Top Lobbyists” by The Hill, is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Corporate Advisory Council, and the Montgomery County, Maryland African American Advisory Group, and is a past member of the Smithsonian Institution’s Anacostia Community Museum Advisory Board. Dana received a BA from Yale University in German Studies and a JD from Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law with a certificate from the Corporate and International Law Institute.
Dana is a partner with SUYANA Investments, a minority-owned investment group. SUYANA’s first investment, MITA, earned a MICHELIN star in 2024. He lives in Maryland with his Houstonian wife, two children, and Old English Bulldog Tandy.
SASHA HERNANDEZ
Principal
(425) 419-8150
[email protected]
Expertise
Education, Infrastructure, Technology/Telecommunications, Transportation
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01)
Sasha joined Fulcrum from the office of Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), where she served as Senior Policy Advisor handling a variety issues, including infrastructure, judiciary, education, labor, technology and telecom. Sasha was one of the lead House staffers on privacy issues, drafting the Congresswoman’s privacy bill that was endorsed by the New Democrat Coalition and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Rep. DelBene is the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Chair Emeritus of the New Democrat Coalition, and a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. Sasha previously worked for Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA), leading her work in Artificial Intelligence. Prior to coming to Congress, she worked in the tech sector for close to a decade at various startups and at Amazon’s headquarters on the Amazon Business team.
Sasha is a Seattle native. She got her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and then came to Washington, D.C. to get her Masters of Political Law from Catholic University’s, Columbus School of Law.
MIYA PATEL
Principal
(904) 315-0716
[email protected]
Expertise
Antitrust, Banking, Immigration, Judiciary, Tech
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-02)
Former Rep. John Delaney (D-MD-06)
House Financial Services Committee
Miya brings a unique blend of experience in government, the private sector and as a public interest lawyer to Fulcrum. Miya joined Fulcrum having served as judiciary counsel to Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), who served in House Leadership as chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). Rep. Neguse also served as vice chair of the Judiciary Committee Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee. Miya previously worked as counsel to Rep. John Delaney (D-MD), staffing the Congressman on the Financial Services Committee, and as legal fellow in the House Financial Services Committee. She has also worked on presidential campaigns, most recently serving as regional director for the Biden campaign in Florida. Prior to working in Congress, Miya worked as a senior analyst at Goldman Sachs and as an immigration lawyer.
JOSIE VILLANUEVA
Principal
(219) 545-7438
[email protected]
Expertise
Health Care, Immigration
Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Biden Administration
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04)
U.S. Senate
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Josie joined Fulcrum in February 2022 after serving as counselor to Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Previously, she worked for a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Previously, she served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director to Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and sits on the House Ways & Means Committee. Rep. Horsford also lead the CBC’s 100 days task force and engagement with the Biden-Harris Transition Team. Previously, Josie worked for Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Commerce Committee, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
ZACK LAVEN
Senior Vice President
(480) 459-1647
[email protected]
Expertise
Energy, Environment, Trade
U.S. Senate
Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ-06)
Zack joined the Fulcrum team in November 2022 from the office of Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff and managed a variety of policy areas over six years with the Congressman. Rep. Schweikert is a senior member on the House Ways and Means Committee and is the Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee. He also serves as Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. Prior to working in Congress, Zack worked as a government relations specialist at the Dow Chemical Company covering trade issues. A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, he received a B.A. from American University and an M.Sc. from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
EMILY LAVERY
Senior Vice President
(571) 438-4724
[email protected]
Expertise
Finance, Tax, Trade, Financial Services, Small Business, Judiciary
U.S. Senate
Sen. Tim Scott
Emily Lavery joined Fulcrum in January 2023 after spending nearly seven years working on Capitol Hill for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and, more recently, as an investment advisor to ultra-high net worth investors at top global investment firm AllianceBernstein. There, she directly managed roughly $115 million dollars in private wealth on behalf of her clients. Prior to that, Emily served as staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, as the Republican staff director for the Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus, and senior advisor for tax, trade, and economic policy to Senator Scott. She served in this role throughout the drafting and passage of the historic CARES Act. Emily was also the lead advisor for the implementation of Senator Scott’s keystone initiative, the Opportunity Zone tax incentive. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He is also a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Emily is a native of Fairfax, Virginia and graduate of the University of South Carolina and the Washington College of Law at American University.
SARAH MONTEITH
Senior Vice President
(425) 923-4899
[email protected]
Expertise
Appropriations, Education, Labor, Judiciary
U.S. Senate
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA-26)
Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-10)
Sarah joined Fulcrum from the office of Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), where she served as a legislative assistant handling a variety of education, appropriations, workforce, infrastructure, immigration, and judiciary issues. Sarah was one of the lead House staffers advocating for the expansion of Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships in Computer Science and Information Technology expanding traditional workforce training into the 21st Century. Sarah also authored the Youth Workforce Readiness Act leading the way for an expansion of afterschool learning programs through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Reauthorization. Rep. Kilmer is the Chair Emeritus of the New Democrat Coalition and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Sarah previously worked for Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) managing his work on the House Education and Labor Committee, and for Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA). Senator Murray also chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. Prior to coming to Congress, Sarah worked for Senator Murray’s District Office in Seattle, WA, and on various state and local campaigns in Washington State.
Paola joined Fulcrum in July 2023, bringing her experience as a government affairs associate in the tech industry, where she focused on advancing digital equity initiatives and workforce development policies. She previously worked as a legal assistant at the State Farm Litigation Counsel Office, supporting two Circuit Court attorneys. Throughout her college career, Paola interned at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and at the Capitol Hill Consulting Group, gaining valuable insights into various legal and policy matters, particularly in health care and the impact of PROMESA in Puerto Rico. She also interned at the Office of the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (PR-AL), who served on the Committee on Natural Resources and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is now the governor of Puerto Rico. Earlier, Paola served on the board of the Up2Us Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on providing food assistance and scholarships for workforce training to low-income healthcare workers and minority students in the DMV area. A proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Paola holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in French from American University.
BROOKE VAN SLYKE
Administrative Coordinator
(716) 578-4500
[email protected]
Brooke joined Fulcrum in February 2025, bringing a strong background in programmatic and operational support across diverse sectors. Prior to joining Fulcrum, she worked as a Law Clerk at a Monterey Bay, California law firm, where she supported multiple attorneys across various practice areas, including civil litigation, intellectual property, and estate administration. Brooke also has experience in international affairs and nonprofit development. She interned with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where she supported policy initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa. Additionally, she worked with Pact’s Business Development Team, directly contributing to private sector engagement in international development programming.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Brooke holds a B.S. in Political Science and a M.A. in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Policy.

WHO WE
WORK WITH
Fulcrum offers small firm service with big firm capabilities. We work with some of the most prominent names in the tech, financial services and health care industries, along with leading nonprofits.

























CONTACT US
Get in touch with us: [email protected]
660 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20003