Avoq

Agency adds Jillian Goger and Owen Lang to strengthen creative leadership and production capabilities as award-winning campaigns continue to gain national recognition WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Avoq announced the addition of Jillian Goger as Senior Vice President, Group Creative Director, further strengthening the agency’s integrated creative team as it continues to deliver award-winning campaigns for clients across sectors.

Strategic Communications Firm Selects Globally Recognized Industry Leader to Drive Next Phase of Innovation and Growth Washington, D.C. – Avoq has appointed Kelli Parsons as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board, effective February 1, 2026.

Washington, D.C. — Avoq today announced two new senior hires who will lead key practice areas created as part of the firm’s strategic reorganization this year. Jeff Smokler joins as Partner and Public Affairs Practice Lead and Yoni Gedan joins as Partner and Audience Intelligence & Performance Practice Lead. These leadership roles reflect Avoq’s commitment to growth by deepening capabilities, enhancing client delivery and advancing measurable results across redefined practice areas.

By Joy Burks, Susan Spencer and Sarah Hamilton Excerpted from O’Dwyer’s Today’s public health advocacy landscape is faced with unprecedented challenges. Rollbacks to prevention and equity programs, ideological attacks on science, workforce reductions and high-level resignations are leaving gaps in leadership and sowing confusion across the health system. The result: Companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups and academic institutions alike are struggling to chart a clear path forward.

By Avoq’s Government Relations Team As public policy experts, we’re often asked what tools we use to help inform our strategic approach to client work. One underrated source that we analyze at Avoq is corporate earnings reports. These reports aren’t just for Wall Street. They’re a window into how political and policy agendas influence financial markets.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time to celebrate the diverse perspectives that strengthen our work every day. It is also a chance to listen, learn and celebrate the stories of colleagues whose experiences enrich our community and help foster a stronger, more inclusive workplace.

Veteran media expert Megan Thomas joins from CNN Washington, D.C. – Avoq today announced that Megan Thomas has joined the firm’s growing Reputation Management team as Vice President. Based in Los Angeles, Thomas brings over 20 years of experience in media relations and strategic communications, expanding Avoq’s ability to serve clients across the country and marking a significant step forward in the firm’s growth, with offices in D.C., Chicago, New York and New Jersey.

As the September 30 FY2026 deadline approaches, Congress faces mounting pressure to avert a government shutdown amid a slow-moving appropriations process and heightened policy tensions. A short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) is the most likely outcome to avoid a shutdown by September 30th. However, shutdown risk remains elevated due to unresolved political and policy fights. If a CR extends well into the winter without resolution, a full-year CR becomes increasingly plausible.

Washington, D.C. — Avoq today announced that Jeff Levey, a seasoned tax policy expert with more than three decades of experience advising global companies on legislative and regulatory issues, has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor on the Government Relations team. Levey brings a distinguished career in Washington, D.C. and internationally, where he has guided financial institutions, multinational corporations and industry coalitions through complex tax policy challenges.

Washington, D.C. — Avoq announced today that public policy and strategic public affairs veteran Valerie Dowling has joined the firm as Senior Vice President. Dowling, who will work out of Avoq’s Washington, D.C. office, has spent the last two decades developing and executing comprehensive policy campaigns, crafting effective messaging and building broad-based coalitions. “Valerie is a public affairs veteran who knows how to execute strategies to help clients achieve their goals.