Jennifer K. Smith
Jennifer K. Smith, a founding partner and President of Smith Fairfield, is a consultant in integrated communications and event management. Smith has created unforgettable images and shaped winning media campaigns and strategies for associations, non-profit organizations, political candidates and corporations. She has also directed and produced some of the most memorable events around the world, including three Academy Awards Oscar Viewing pre and post parties in Beverly Hills, California; the U.S. Olympic Committee Gala; five Presidential Inaugurals; the Air Force Association’s 50th Anniversary conference and Gala (with an Air Show held at Nellis, AFB); and a corporate event held in Marbella, Spain that was selected “Event of the Year” by Events Magazine. And most recently, Smith handled all of the logistics and media relations for ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition’s 2009 Washington, D.C. double build – the largest build in the show’s history. Simultaneously, Smith launched a six-month, 15 city marketing and promotional tour for the U.S. Department of Energy to promote utilizing on-the-shelf products to reduce a consumer’s home energy consumption to zero – or nearly zero. The traveling home tour was featured on a two-hour segment with Sam Champion on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Prior to founding the firm, Smith was the Senior Vice President for P.M. Consulting Corporation where she advised Senators as well as counseled trade associations about grassroots lobbying techniques. She also served as Vice President and lobbyist for a leading Washington think tank where she organized and led coalitions and advisory committees, supervised the communications and public affairs, expanded the media outreach and conceived and launched the organization’s Law and Economics Program, Resident Scholar Chair, Media Law Fellowships and Products Liability Project. Prior to this position, Smith served as the Finance Chief of Staff for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) where she advised all Senatorial candidates about fund-raising as well as was the liaison to the White House and other Administration officials. She began her career as the NRSC Deputy PAC Director and was a research assistant at the Wall Street Journal. A Miami University (Ohio) graduate with a bachelor's degree in political science, Smith received a Masters degree in American Government from Georgetown University.
Caroline Okumu
Caroline Okumu serves as the Director of Events for Smith Fairfield, Inc. (SFI) where she oversees all event logistics and management of events, ranging from Gala dinners, conferences, golf tournaments to policy forums.
Prior to coming to SFI, Okumu was the Manager of International Compensation at Cable & Wireless, USA, a British telecommunications company headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. She managed a team of financial analysts in supporting the International and National Sales organization. In this capacity she analyzed and tracked pricing, product and customer level information for sales commission calculations. She monitored sales activities on a global basis and helped identify efficiencies and areas that required development. Okumu began her career in the United States as the Assistant Comptroller for British global business services giant Rentokil Initial, PLC, in Washington, D.C. In this role she assisted the Chief Financial Officer in overseeing and directing general financial tasks including accounting management, organizing and the planning of daily operations.
Born and educated in England, yet raised in Austria, she started her career in administration at The Vienna International School (VIS) and as the Executive Assistant to the United Nations Women’s Guild (UNWG) with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Austria. Okumu has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Economics from The King’s College, New York and is bilingual, German.
Derek LaVallee
Derek M. LaVallee is a public relations executive with extensive communications, policy and intergovernmental affairs expertise. He has worked at the White House and the U.S. Department of Defense, and counseled Fortune 500 companies, national trade associations and international diplomats.
LaVallee is a recognized leader in earned and paid media programs, coalition building, brand management, crisis communications, and stakeholder outreach. He is frequently called upon by national media outlets to provide industry perspective on current events.
LaVallee is also a columnist for The Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C.
Robert G. de Posada
Robert G. de Posada is a Senior Vice President at Smith Fairfield, Inc. (SFI). He specializes in state government and U.S. Congressional relations, public education campaigns and political communications strategies.
Prior to coming to SFI, de Posada served as Founder and President of The Latino Coalition, a nonprofit organization established to address policy issues that directly affect U.S. Hispanics. In this capacity, de Posada was responsible for implementing national and international public education campaigns on such issues as health care, tax reform, immigration, trade and education, testifying before Congress, giving media interviews and coordinating weekly policy forums. He also sat on the Executive Committee of the Hispanic Business Roundtable, First Data Corporation’s Empowerment Fund, Harvard University’s Hispanic Journal and on the National Board of Directors of Rebuilding Together, formerly known as Christmas in April. He also served as one of the three directors of the Americans for Border and Economic Security, together with former Congressmen Dick Armey (R-TX) and Cal Dooley (D-CA). In addition, de Posada was appointed by President Bush to serve on the National Commission to Save and Strengthen Social Security and was appointed by Virginia Governor George Allen to serve on the State Commission responsible for reforming welfare programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
de Posada is a regular political commentator for both Univision and Telemundo’s national news networks, has served as the anchor desk analyst for Univision’s national coverage of election night results from 2000 thru 2008, and is fluent in Spanish.
Terrill A. Smith
Terrill A. Smith, brings extensive business and government contracting experience to Smith Fairfield, Inc. Most recently, he managed all aspects of a start-up emerging growth technology company including raising over five million in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) for early stage R&D. Prior to that, Smith served as Vice President of Silicon Valley Bank's Technology Division, where he managed a complex portfolio of venture capital back companies across a wide spectrum of technologies. He managed the overall profitability and risk of a portfolio of companies ranging from pre-revenue start-up to publicly traded with annual sales of over $250 million. He was responsible for performing in-depth analysis, investor due diligence and negotiating transaction terms ranging in size from $250,000 to $10 million. Prior to that, Smith held various management roles with a $10 billion East Coast commercial bank including successfully managing a department staff of thirty-two and accounts in excess of $100 million. Smith received his Bachelor of Science from the Pennsylvania State University.
Frederika verHulst
Frederika verHulst has a diverse background in politics, management and computer sciences. She joined Smith Fairfield, Inc. in 1999 to expand the political outreach for various clients as well as develop and implement client communications strategies utilizing new technologies and software. VerHulst was formerly the Executive Director, Membership Director, and Special Projects Director for the National Federation of Republican Women. Prior to that, she was Vice President for Operations for Chez Clarisse, a French catalog company, where she successfully created, developed, and managed the day-to-day operations. She was the internal operations manager for the Corrections Corporation of America and headed the Translation Department for the Fluor Corporation. VerHulst has been a consultant to numerous political figures including former Congressman and Omaha Mayor Hal Daub, Senator Chuck Hagel, and Governor Kay Orr. VerHulst also teaches French in her spare time and is fluent in both French and German.
Marilyn Funderburk
Marilyn Funderburk is Founder and President of EMCEE International Inc., a minority woman-owned special events, communications, and public relations company. Prior to forming EMCEE International, she was a freelance special events manager for some of Washington’s top special events and promotional firms and has volunteered her expertise for numerous charity organizations. During the administration of President Jimmy Carter, Ms. Funderburk served as the Deputy Social Secretary to The White House. In this capacity she planned and executed events such as; small private dinners held in the family quarters, political briefings and receptions, State Dinners, and Pope John Paul II’s visit to the South Lawn of the White House attended by over 5,000 people. She is currently on the board of the Recreation Wish List Committee which raises money to provide equipment to recreation centers in the neediest areas of Washington, D.C., and continues to do freelance event management. She is a graduate of Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in Purchase, New York.
Jennifer Farrell
Jennifer Farrell was Vice President and Director of Special Events for Resnicow Schroeder Associates from 1992 – 1995. Ms. Farrell has extensive experience in all aspects of events management with special expertise in corporate sponsorship and cultural communications programs. From 1989 to 1995, Ms. Farrell worked primarily on long-term sponsorship programs for Ford Motor Company and AT&T. She has implemented corporate-related events on behalf of clients including The Coca-Cola Company, Philip Morris, U.S. News and World Report, Hallmark Cards, Textron, and Paramount Pictures, among others. In addition to her special events background, Ms. Farrell has six years of Capitol Hill-related experience including service on the staffs of U.S. Senators Sam Nunn and Herman Talmadge and as a government relations representative for a defense consulting firm. Ms. Farrell graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Civilization and political science.
Karen Ann Curcio
Karen Ann Curcio has more than twenty-five years of strategic marketing/ communi-cations consulting experience for major international consumer product, high technology and pharmaceutical companies. Her areas of expertise include technology, health and nutrition, science and medicine, financial services, food and beverage, travel and leisure, entertainment and toys and games, among others. Curcio has a proven track record of developing cost-effective, results-oriented, and strategic marketing/communications programs that are planned, managed and executed in a timely fashion and within budget. Curcio has created programs for International Business Machines, Tektronix, American Express, American Brands/American Tobacco, Fisher Camuto/9 West Shoes, General Mills, Hiram Walker, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Quaker Oats, Random House, Ralston Purina, Parker Brothers, H.J. Heinz and many more. In the technology, healthcare, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, Curcio has extensive experience teaching executive-level presentation skills, and training and developing media spokespeople for a variety of international clients including Hoffmann-LaRoche, Pharmacia and Ortho Biotech Products, among others. She has also created me dia tours, speakers bureaus, scientific seminars and professional conferences for these firms. Additionally, Curcio served as a national media spokesperson for a major ophthalmic pharmaceutical company.
Joseph J. Curcio
Joseph Curcio has nineteen years of sales and marketing experience for major international financial services and high technology companies. He is an expert in electronic commerce and the consultative sales process. Curcio views business from the “C” level (CEO/COO/CFO/CTO/CIO) and has a proven track record of developing effective, results-oriented, sales and marketing programs that are planned, managed and executed on time and within budget. Curcio has been a sales and marketing consultant to Visa USA, Edocs, Inc., Intelidata Technology Corporation, InterSystems Corporation and Integrion Financial Network, among others. Prior to consulting, he was a Vice President at CitiBank where he created CitiPay, their first electronic bill payment delivery network, and was responsible for Merchant Relations, Home Banking and Payment Operations and ultimately, CitiPay Business Manager. He also spent several years with Visa Interactive selling home banking, bill payment services and Visa ePay.
Christopher J. Daly
Christopher J. Daly With 22 years under his belt as a direct mail copywriter and consultant, Chris Daly is a contributing copywriter with a solid record of writing fund-raising and advocacy mail for some of the largest and most influential organizations in America today. Highly respected in his field, Daly takes great pride in his ability to work one-on-one with clients, grasp the challenge presented, put forth creative solutions and deliver direct mail packages that work. He started his career as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill where, for twelve years, he had a front row seat witnessing America's political decision-making process in-action while learning the political machinations of Washington, D.C. from the inside-out.