Candace Barger

Candace Barger
Candace Barger

Candace Barger

Senior Executive Assistant / Office Manager

213-741-1500, ext. 585

Candace is a valued member of the EKA team as a Senior Executive Assistant. Prior to joining EKA, she served as an office manager for a gourmet food service, specializing in specific health related dietary plans for seniors. Candace oversaw the day-to-day operations and played an integral role in the firm reaching its goal of one million dollars in sales by its third year. Candace assisted with the start-up and opening of three additional office locations in San Diego, San Francisco and Texas. She also spent several years as an Attorney Clerk at the Central Office of the Orange County Public Defender, specializing in felony case work.

Candace was born and raised in Long Beach.

Donna Heinz

Donna Heinz
Donna Heinz

Donna Heinz

Controller

Donna Heinz brings over thirty years of experience in providing comprehensive administrative management services to our clients. Her background includes fourteen years at the MWW group where she supervised staff, project budgeting and program administration. Additionally, she has experience as the business manager and facilities manager for a diverse group of companies and organizations. Donna is instrumental in making sure that our clients receive immediate attention and resolution to issues as they interface with EKA.

Donna was born in New Mexico but has called Southern California her home since the early 70s. She received a BA from Woodbury University.

Kelli Sylte

Kelli Sylte
Kelli Sylte

Kelli Sylte

Director

213-741-1500

As a member of the client team, Kelli Sylte tracks issues and assists in the day-to-day administration of client relationships. Kelli provides support to multiple account teams and efficiently services each of these accounts simultaneously.

Prior to EKA, Kelli worked as an executive assistant for an insurance company where she developed exceptional administration organizational skills. She has brought value to our company by assisting our Partners and Senior Vice Presidents in a wide variety of projects by conducting research, giving legislative updates, content drafting, press material development and preparing reports in addition to monitoring industry trends.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State University San Marcos and was a four-year collegiate athlete. Kelli grew up in Huntington Beach, CA and now resides in Long Beach.

Hilary Brown

Hilary Brown
Hilary Brown

Hilary Brown

Vice President

213-741-1500, ext. 575

Hilary Brown is a government affairs professional with extensive knowledge in public policy and government relations. Hilary works across EKA accounts to help create concepts and complete strategies, programs, and campaigns using client insights. She also manages daily client operations and strategy approach with multiple high profile clients.

Hilary has extensive experience in developing and applying successful proactive and responsive public affairs campaigns and community relations projects. She manages the social media aspects of our practices, a vital tool in today’s communications arsenal. Parallel to overseeing this evolving arena, Hilary works with our team creating collateral materials and event coordination that function in support of the social media messaging.

Hilary worked as an AmeriCorps Jumpstart team leader and Corps member, where she provided individualized attention and positive adult-child relationships to prepare preschool students in low-income neighborhoods for school success. She helped implement early childhood curriculum, supported family involvement, and promoted children’s language and literacy skills through ongoing relationships with preschool children.

Hilary is a member of the Ainahau O Kaleponi Hawaiian Civic Club and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA).

Hilary holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a political science emphasis from Pepperdine University.

Gina Gribow

Gina Gribow
Gina Gribow

Gina Gribow

Senior Vice President

Gina is an accomplished public affairs professional with extensive experience in providing strategic counsel and communication advice to a diverse range of sectors, including technology, transportation, infrastructure, sustainability, non-profit, and real estate development, in Los Angeles City and County. She also specializes in community affairs consulting.

Gina’s career journey began in politics on Capitol Hill, where she first served as a Page for the U.S. House of Representatives. She later interned for Senator Dianne Feinstein and worked as a Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Her foray into local politics included serving as a Land Use/Government Attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, where she represented clients in real estate transactions, land use entitlements, government approvals, and public contracts.

Gina is currently on the Steering Committee of the Rautenberg New Leaders Project (NLP), a leadership program through the Jewish Federation that focuses on training young civic leaders; is a member of Chief, a private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders; serves on the Downtown Works Board of Directors, Central City Association’s sister non-profit; and serves on the Board of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

Gina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from UC Hastings College of the Law. Gina is an active member of the State Bar of California.

Jaime de la Vega

Jaime de la Vega
Jaime de la Vega

Jaime de la Vega

Executive Vice President

213-741-1500, ext. 570

Jaime brings over two decades of senior level experience working in and for the public sector to EKA’s Transportation and Procurement practice. He has focused on developing and implementing viable solutions for highly complex problems involving technical, operational, management, financial, legislative, communications and political issues. His experience with elected offices, on legislative boards and as a chief executive officer provides strategic insight into the decision making and approval procedures at local and regional transportation agencies. He brings policy and practice together to serve the client’s needs and respond to their priorities.

Jaime has held multiple senior level transportation positions in local government, including Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Metro Board of Directors, Metrolink Board of Directors and Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Transportation.

Jaime has an MA in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a BA in urban studies, summa cum laude from California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

Harvey Englander

Harvey Englander
Harvey Englander

Harvey Englander

Founding Partner

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213-741-1500, ext. 518
213-220-5058 mobile

Harvey Englander founded EKA in 2005 to provide a superior level of public affairs and government relations services previously unseen in Southern California. His approach of developing a team of the most seasoned practitioners in their respective fields has been the guiding principle that led the firm to become the largest independent public relations agency in Los Angeles only five years following its founding.

Harvey didn’t just change the game – he changed the story by developing a strategic approach methodology for the firm’s clients. This strategic approach to a client’s situation delivers results for EKA’s clients time and time again.

Harvey has created and successfully lead hundreds of public relations, political and public affairs campaigns. He is often the person called when traditional communications campaigns don’t reach their goals. He has been called upon to rescue numerous political campaigns and careers that appeared to be on the verge of defeat. Simply, Harvey is the person you always want in your corner.

Harvey has set a standard for success, delivering his clients the results they need. He has a clear understanding of the public and political landscape and how to effectively communicate his client’s story across it.

In 2016 and 2017 Harvey was named one of the 500 Most Influential People in the County by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

The value of giving back to the community is ingrained in his approach. Harvey serves on the Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association Los Angeles Chapter and is the co-founder of the ADA’s highly successful “Los Angeles Political Roast”. He is an active member of the Los Angeles City College Foundation and the West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation. Past appointments include the Bipartisan California Commission on Internet Political Practices and the Los Angeles County Junior Golf Commission. Harvey is also a founder and former president of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Lobbyists & Public Affairs Association.

A UCLA graduate, Harvey served on George Washington University’s Council on American Politics and was a board member of the UCLA School of Public Policy.

Harvey is married and the father of four sons and proud grandfather of three grandsons. He is married to Donna Black, a leading land use attorney.

Alex Cherin

Alex Cherin
Alex Cherin

Alex Cherin

Partner

213-741-1500, ext. 550

Alex heads EKA’s Transportation and Clean Tech practices, bringing with him a wealth of expertise cultivated over nearly two decades of active engagement across various echelons of both the public and private sectors. His extensive experience culminated in an executive role at the Port of Long Beach, the fifth-largest container port globally. Alex demonstrated a strategic leadership approach in this capacity, contributing significantly to the port’s operational excellence and prominence in the industry. His multifaceted background positioned him as a valuable leader in driving innovation and sustainability for clients in the transportation and clean tech area.

While acting as the port’s managing director of trade and operations, Alex helped shape and implement some of the most cutting-edge policy initiatives in international goods movement, regional transportation, infrastructure development and clean technology. His successful development of the clean trucks program, oversight of the middle harbor redevelopment project and the Long Beach oil tax ballot initiative were transformative.

He regularly speaks before decision-makers at all levels of the federal government, including Congress and the US Trade Representative, on competitive issues like global trade forecasts, regional infrastructure projects and pending World Trade Organization matters.

A featured guest on CNN and Fox Business News, Alex’s insights on trade, international business and public policy have been sought after and featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the Los Angeles Times.

Before his career in public service, Alex practiced law as a senior associate at the firm of Flynn, Delich & Wise, specializing in international trade and maritime law. He holds a BA in political science from the University of Michigan and a JD from Loyola Law School.

As the author of the occasional “Yesternow” column, Alex was awarded two “Los Angeles Press Club” Awards and was nominated in 2020 as “Journalist of the Year”. His work focused on the important confluence of Southern California history and popular culture trends.  Alex published a novel, “The Mighty 690 (Six-Ninety)”. The culmination of several years of trial and error, the book is a fictional account of an actual AM radio station contest that occurred in the summer of 1981.

Jeff McConnell

Jeff McConnell
Jeff McConnell

Jeff McConnell

Partner

213-741-1500, ext. 210

Jeff joined EKA after managing a growing list of clients at his own firm, McConnell Government Relations. He is a specialist in technology and cannabis related fields, along with a deep background in land-use policy and the budget processes of The City of Los Angeles and the County. Jeff has successfully secured hundreds of millions of dollars in contract awards for his clients over the past ten years and successfully permitted large scale developments from the Port of Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley.

Jeff began his career as a legislative deputy for Councilman Nick Pacheco, where he focused on transportation, public works, the economic redevelopment of downtown Los Angeles, and the city budget. He has maintained remarkable relationships and resources across the spectrum of Los Angeles city politics.

Jeff is currently vice-chair of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, and a former co-chair of the Transportation and Goods Movement Committee for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, where he serves on the board. He also serves on the boards of the Central City Association and Crestview Preparatory School. Jeff is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Theater.

Eric Rose

Eric Rose
Eric Rose

Eric Rose

Partner

213-741-1500, ext. 525
805-624-0572 mobile

Eric has more than four decades of experience advising companies, associations and individuals on various political, governmental and public relations issues. He is known nationally and internationally for his successful crisis management, reputation repair and communications expertise.

He offers a broad range of services to individuals, corporations and organizations, including labor relations, litigation support, issues advertising, visual communications, Q&A preparation for public hearings and testimony, media relations and media training. One of Eric’s most potent tools is his strength in interacting with the highest-level investigative reporters on behalf of his clients. Eric has served as a counselor to numerous Fortune 500 companies, trade unions and other organizations, interacting with senior leadership and advising them on corporate issues management, executive exposure and media relations.

Eric has amassed significant experience and expertise in aiding and counseling people, businesses and entities in trouble or conflict or harmed by negative communications that affected/damaged their name, goodwill, image, reputation, brand, etc.  For over a decade, clients have sought Eric as an expert source and analyst for mass media on crisis communications and issues involving damage to image or reputation.  Eric’s work with political and public-sector clients includes law enforcement, healthcare, energy, transportation, consumer goods, hospitality, leisure, and environmental management. Eric has experience in all major industries and a specialty practice serving public safety unions.

As a direct result of Eric’s involvement in many crisis communications situations, Eric has become the “go-to” person for perspective by the media to provide interpretation and analysis on issues and matters relating to those people, businesses, institutions, governments, etc., who are controversial, in conflict or trouble.  Eric is regularly sought by local, national and international media as an expert media source and analyst. The Los Angeles Times, PR News, Associated Press, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and many other media outlets have called Eric a crisis and reputation management expert and sought his insight regarding reputational issues. Eric serves as an expert witness in legal proceedings regarding defamation and image repair and has been a guest lecturer at various universities.