Meet the Team

Pili Tobar is the former White House Deputy Communications Director for Joe Biden. Pili was born in Florida and raised in Guatemala City. She graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor in Science and a Master’s in Public Administration.

Prior to serving at the White House, Pili was the Communications Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the Communications Director for Coalitions for the Biden for President campaign where she managed the team that executed the outreach and communications strategy to reach Hispanic media, African American media, women media, AAPI media, tribal media, disability media, ethnic media, faith media, LGBTQ+ media, progressives, rural media, seniors, small business, veterans and military families, and youth outlets.

In an activist role, Pili was the spokesperson and Deputy Director for the pro-immigrant organization America’s Voice and head of advocacy and communications at the Latino Victory Project, where she hit the campaign trail in the 2016 election cycle on behalf of Hispanic Democratic candidates. On the political side, Tobar was the Hispanic media Director and Western Press Secretary for the Democratic National Committee through the 2014 midterm elections. In 2015, she ran the communications operation for Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and in 2017 she served as Hispanic Media Director for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Abigail is a recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School, where she earned her master’s in Women, Gender, Sexuality, & Religion. Passionate about the intersection of politics, religion, and storytelling, she is excited to bring her scholarship, heart for justice, and creative writing skills to Fireside Campaigns.

Abigail completed her B.A. in Religious Studies at Baldwin Wallace University, and is co-author of a forthcoming poetry collection, Theopoetica (April Gloaming Publishing, 2022). You will find her keeping up with issues surrounding reproductive justice, immigration, literacy & education, the First Amendment, and all things religion. In her free time, Abigail is an avid reader, writer, coffee-drinker, and cook.

Alex joined Fireside’s communications team in July 2022 as a junior associate after working as an intern for the firm during the 2020 campaign cycle. Prior to joining full-time, he also completed internships for the op-ed vertical at NBC News and the digital team at EMILY’s List.

Alex received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Religion & Politics and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, where he also sharpened his communication skills as president and captain of the mock trial team.

Britton Lee (she/they) is an experienced public speaker with a passion for fostering an inclusive and progressive environment by amplifying the voices of communities that have been historically underrepresented and systematically marginalized. Their clients include Starbucks Workers United, Center for Secure and Modern Elections, and AAPI Victory Alliance.

Prior to joining Fireside, Britton attended Northern Arizona University where they majored in communication studies and public relations. As a student, Britton was a legislative broadcast intern for the State of Arizona where they collaborated with the Senate Democratic Caucus to develop Canyonside Chats. Additionally, they are a national champion in persuasive speaking for their speech that advocates for legislative action and provides resources for survivors of a form of sexual assault called stealthing.

Courtney joined Fireside Campaigns in the fall of 2021 after years of electoral work in Wisconsin where she lead the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s communications team through the 2018 and 2020 cycles. She belonged to the teams that brought down Scott Walker in 2018 and delivered Wisconsin’s ten electoral votes to President Biden in 2020. At Fireside she currently works with Common Defense, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Run AAPI, and the North Carolina Association of Educators. She is based out of Chicago, IL.

Daniel joined Fireside’s communications team in September 2022 after studying Political Science and Documentary Filmmaking at Chapman University. Prior to joining Fireside, Daniel worked in various roles in the United States House of Representatives, including the communications teams for Representative Cori Bush and the House Oversight Committee.

All his work is rooted in his passion for people, the environment, and storytelling. Daniel was born and raised in California and, in his free time, can be found on the beach, with his dogs, or listening to music on vinyl.

Emily joined the team in November 2018 as one of Fireside Campaign’s first employees. Since then, she has played a vital role in developing Fireside’s Comms/PR department while leading communications strategy for clients like Run for Something, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, United We Dream, National Vote at Home Institute, and Spread the Vote, among many more.

Before moving to D.C., Emily worked as a grassroots organizer in Florida for national campaigns, down-ballot races, and ballot initiatives. Additionally, she provided comms/PR strategy and support for down-ballot candidates through Ruth’s List FL in 2014 and 2016.

Emily received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

Erika joined Fireside Campaigns back in April of 2019 when the firm was still under the old branding of Harta Communications. Having been with the firm since the beginning, she has worked on some of the firm’s most successful TV bookings and print pieces with clients like Yang2020, The Indivisible Project, Black Lives Matter, The Alliance for Youth Action, and Run for Something—among others.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Erika interned for the press department on Jared Polis’ winning gubernatorial campaign in Colorado and worked as a community organizer during the 2016 general election and 2018 midterm election. Erika holds degrees in Journalism and International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder with minors in religious studies and Arabic.

Jenna Sanders joins Fireside Campaigns with nearly a decade of public relations experience. Her career spans in-house communications roles for celebrity chefs, wineries, and nonprofit organizations. Jenna has also developed a unique understanding of the media from the other side. She is a published writer who has written a monthly restaurant review column, spotlighted new businesses in Napa Valley, and has dabbled in both historical narratives and investigative journalism.

Prior to joining Fireside Campaigns, Jenna worked as a community organizer and facilitator of consciousness-raising programs. Her social justice work is largely focused on gender equity, racial justice, and voter mobilization.

Jenna earned a BA in Literary Journalism from UC Irvine and a MA in History with a focus on the study of race and ethnicity from Cal State Fullerton. Jenna is a fierce advocate for destigmatizing mental health issues– especially in the workplace, and is also a runner, cat lover, community builder, and gluten-free baker.

Prior to joining the team, María graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism. During her time in college, she began conducting personal, in-depth interviews to shine a light on Austin leaders, small businesses, artists, and social movements for a local eco-friendly foundation. Soon after graduating she became interested in taking a more hands-on approach to politics and began her time as a Spanish Field Organizer for Dan Feehan’s campaign for Congress in Minnesota, where she got to work closely with immigrant communities in the rural midwest that are often left out of political conversations. As an immigrant herself, María is deeply driven by the desire to help underserved groups and advance progressive policies.

In July of 2021, María found her place at Fireside Campaigns as a Junior Communications Associate where she proudly works with Run for Something, Mike Collier for Texas, United We Dream, and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Mike Clement is a junior associate at Fireside Campaigns working to uplift progressive organizations and causes within media and fundraising spheres. He joined Fireside as the firm’s first intern in 2020, eventually joining the digital team full-time and helping raise over $1 million for Democratic candidates through email fundraising during his time in the department. After earning an M.S. in Public Relations from Quinnipiac University in 2022, Mike joined the communications team where he currently serves nonprofit organizations like RUN AAPI and Labor Table.

Born and raised into a family of city bus drivers in Rhode Island, Mike’s passionate about political issues like labor rights, investment in public transportation and environmental justice. Mike is also an amateur chef, dog rescuer and sports fan.

Sam Harazin is a passionate communicator focused on building community and creating an equitable world for historically marginalized communities. His clients include United We Dream, Alliance for Youth Action, and Marked by COVID.

Sam holds degrees in Communications and Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During his time at CU, Sam completed a Public Relations Fellowship with the Colorado Democratic Party during the 2016 general election focusing on getting youth registered and excited about voting. Prior to joining Fireside, Sam worked in higher education where he created community-building communications and supported programs that eliminated barriers for LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and low-income students.

Born in Hawaii and raised in Colorado, Sam’s intense passion for nature and wildlife has him getting lost in the woods or daydreaming about the beach in his free time. He would not be alive today had it not been for ice cream and small dogs.

T’Liyah Nobles joined Fireside in June 2022 as a Junior Communications Associate working with Indivisible, Voter Formation Project, and MOVE Texas.

A native of Georgia, she holds B.A. in Political Science from Georgia State University and an M.A. in Political Communication from The American University.

Before joining Fireside, T’Liyah worked as a Public Relations Fellow for Rational 360, a full-service public affairs firm. She is passionate about civil rights, social and racial justice, and protecting the right to vote.

Brad is the former executive director of the Congressional Progressive Caucus where he oversaw its legislative, communications and political operations for over 80 members of Congress. He has also been the communications director for various members of the house and Congressional campaigns.

Brad has developed communications and PR strategy for electoral and issue campaigns at every level. He’s worked as a Senior Advisor for several Presidential campaigns, for party committees, large progressive organizations, independent expenditure campaigns and labor unions as well as resistance groups and issue advocacy organizations. He has handled some of the most difficult crisis communications problems during the Trump Era and is a trusted voice among Democratic operatives.

He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Florida International University and an M.A. in Political Management from The George Washington University.