Becky Carroll
President & CEO (SHE/HER/hers)
Becky Carroll has served as a top adviser to multiple public-sector executives at both Chicago’s City Hall and the Illinois Office of the Governor, while holding several leadership positions on local, state, and national political campaigns, including National Director of Women for Obama on the 2008 Obama for President Campaign, Advisor to both Governor JB Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaigns and Communications Advisor on the Governor-elect's transition team. As Chair and President of Protect Illinois Communities, Becky played a leading role in the statewide campaign to help pass an assault weapons ban in Illinois. Considered one of Chicago’s top crisis, communications, and public affairs strategists, she has led public engagement and communications campaigns to develop and promote bold, new initiatives in education, healthcare, economic development, housing, pensions, and budget and finance issues. Her public sector experience leading communications operations and teams includes: the City of Chicago Departments of Planning & Development and Housing; Chicago Mayor’s Office; Chicago Public Schools; and the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of CAPAG, Envision Unlimited, Equality Illinois, Noah’s Arc Foundation, and the Ambassador Board of First Women’s Bank and MedGlobal. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago where she serves on the Forums Committee, as well as a member of the National Small Business Association’s Leadership Council, member of the Forbes Business Council, founding member of The Chicago Business Journal Leadership Trust, member of the Loyola University Chicago Council of Regents, and long-time mentor at 1871. She was recognized by the Chicago Sun-Times as one of Chicago’s 30 Under 30 and, in 2022 and 2023, received the Gold Stevie Award for Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year in the Stevie American Business Awards. Carroll co-founded the social media campaign #StandWithAleppo which gained international recognition in raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Syria. She is also the founder and host of The Broad Cast, a podcast dedicated to showcasing diverse women making an impact across multiple sectors and industries.
Joanna Belanger
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (SHE/HER/HERS)
Joanna is a 20 year veteran of managing political, advocacy and ballot initiative campaigns. She also served in numerous senior positions supporting elected officials, from fundraising and paid media to budgeting. Prior to joining C-Strategies, Joanna served as the Senior Director of Donor Relations and Partnerships for the Chicago Host Committee for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where she oversaw the organization’s fundraising efforts. She previously led campaigns in the gun violence prevention space, where she oversaw the political teams at both Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords. Joanna was a lead organizer behind the 2019 Giffords & March For Our Lives Gun Safety Forum in partnership with MSNBC and nine leading Democratic Presidential hopefuls. In 2017, she managed Everytown’s successful, organization-wide efforts to stop the NRA’s federal priorities in the first year of the Trump administration. Working closely with the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, Joanna managed ballot initiative campaigns around abortion rights in Tennessee (2014) and West Virginia (2018). She has also served on the board of America Votes and presented on several panels about gun violence prevention, ballot measures, progressive politics and other leading issues. Her commentary has appeared in numerous outlets including Newsweek, The Hill and Washington Post. A native of the southwest suburbs, Joanna returned to Chicago in 2022 and now lives in Logan Square.
Megha Bhattacharya
SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER (SHE/HER/HERS)
Megha is a seasoned communications professional and political strategist with experience across campaigns, government and diplomacy. She began her political career working on local and national campaigns, including the JB Pritzker gubernatorial campaign, Jon Ossoff Senate campaign and the presidential campaigns of Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Bhattacharya went on to serve as a political appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration for over three years. At the White House, she worked on Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff’s communications team before joining President Joe Biden’s traveling press team, where she supported Press Secretaries Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre. She later served as the Strategic Advisor for Communications at the U.S. Department of State, focusing on public diplomacy. Most recently, Bhattacharya was the Deputy Director of Surrogate Communications for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. She is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, furthering her passion for bridging the gap between the public and private sectors.
Caroline Brooks
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CommunicationS (SHe/her/hers)
As Senior Director of Communications, Caroline is responsible for securing media coverage among local, national and trade media. While at C-Strategies, Caroline has served on multiple client teams that have won both national and local awards for our communications and marketing strategy. Serving as a day-to-day liaison between client and media, Caroline manages hundreds of stories annually, particularly around uplifting underrepresented communities. She has deep experience working in the public affairs space from her extensive client advocacy portfolio at C-Strategies to serving twice as an Urban Fellow for the City of Memphis, supporting multiple projects for former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and his communications team. In 2023, Caroline was named to the Publicity Club of Chicago’s 30 Under 30 list and in 2024 she was recognized by the Stevie American Business Awards as a Silver Communications Professional of the Year. Caroline is a Memphis, Tennessee native with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently serves as Associate Board Membership Co-Chair for Culinary Care.
Laura Dacy
SENIOR Communications MANAGER (SHE/HER/HERS)
Laura is a seasoned communications professional with a background at the intersection of policy, press and outreach. She is a passionate communicator that uses her expertise to develop and execute successful strategic plans and campaigns. Most recently, Laura worked as Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) in Washington, D.C. A Chicago-area native, Laura is excited to return home and bring her experience to C-Strategies and our clients. Laura is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned a B.A. in Public Policy Analysis and Strategic Communications.
Joel Dickens
DIGITAL MANAGER (he/him/his)
As Digital Manager, Joel helps lead the ideation and creation of video and social media content promoting the work of C-Strategies and their clients — ranging from 30 second Reels recapping client events, to longer form year-in-review videos, to promotional animations for The Broad Cast podcast, and everything in between. They are proficient and continually cultivating their skills in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Canva, all of which they use to bring projects to life. Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Joel graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2022 with degrees in Film & Digital Media Production and Political Science. Joel constantly strives to combine his knack for editing with a commitment to social justice and has previously worked on the video and marketing teams for various non-profit organizations local to Chicago. They are also a freelance editor and have interned at the advertising agency FCB Chicago. He is a film buff, an animal lover and a fan of all things Sanrio.
Grace Galante
Communications Coordinator (she/her/hers)
Grace is a journalist and communications professional with experience across digital, print and radio. Before joining C-Strategies, she was a contributor to Parade Magazine's news team, which averages over 20 million page views per month, covering celebrity, entertainment and pop culture. She has also served as an Associate Producer for American Urban Radio Networks, producing segments for two nationally syndicated radio shows — Viewpoints Radio and Radio Health Journal — broadcast to more than 1,000 affiliates nationwide. Earlier in her career, Grace interned at NBCU News Group, where she curated the NBC News website and mobile app and contributed to breaking news coverage. Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Specialized Journalism from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Michelle Joy Jardine
Digital Content & Social Media Coordinator (she/her/hers)
Michelle is a digital communications strategist and content creator with a background spanning political campaigns, government and independent film. She managed social media for the Office of the Chicago City Treasurer, where she doubled the office’s following and increased video views by 1,169% since onboarding. Prior to that, she traveled the state of Ohio as the lead photographer and videographer for the Tim Ryan Senate Campaign, and most recently served as a Client Services Associate at Technicolor Political, where she worked across a range of races including presidential, Senate and House campaigns. Michelle is also the founder of Blu Joy Productions, LLC, through which she wrote, directed and produced her debut short film, "We Want A" — a four-time award winner, including Best Female Director at Chicago Shorts and Best Short Film at Film Girl Film Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting with a minor in Political Science from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Alejandra Moran
LatinO Communications & Engagement Advisor (she/her/hers)
Alejandra is a communications and engagement expert who over more than two decades has developed successful marketing campaigns, media relationships, community relationships, and continues to resolve corporate crises. She is the Founder and President of Si! Communications, a communications firm aiming to help clients engage their audiences through open lines of communication in English or Spanish with clarity and confidence. Alejandra also serves as a media relations consultant for elected officials and political candidates on the local and state levels. Her innovative approach has helped local, national and international clients conquer significant consumers in their desired markets; no client is too small or too big for Alejandra. Alejandra loves a good challenge, and her creative mind will provide that unique viewpoint when everyone in the room has run out of ideas. Having developed the reputation as the “Go-To” Latina communications expert, Alejandra has been allowed to work across many industries and markets including, tourism, transportation, retail, energy, education, health, banking, entertainment, textile, and other trades. As a coalition builder, she was able to create outstanding public awareness campaigns that involved corporations, state agencies, unions, professional organizations, and media, which led to the development of successful crisis communications strategies for high profile local and national clients.
Courtney McManus
Senior Director of Communication (she/her/hers)
Courtney is a seasoned communications professional with deep roots in Illinois politics and policy. Prior to joining C-Strategies, she led communications throughout Illinois for U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth for nearly a decade, including for the Senator's successful 2022 re-election campaign and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Throughout her time with the Senator, she helped tell the stories of how national policy impacted Illinoisans every day -- whether that was improving water infrastructure in the Metro East, increasing access to IVF or working to bring international investment back home to our state. Courtney began her career as a reporter and editor with bylines in the Chicago Tribune, Vox Media and TimeOut. She holds a BA and MA in Journalism from DePaul University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, where she focused on education policy. Courtney is a member of the DePaul College of Communication Young Professionals Advisory Board. She currently lives in Ukrainian Village with her husband, toddler and dog, JoJo.
Claire Salzman
Vice president of digital strategy (she/her/hers)
Claire is an experienced digital strategist with a passion for translating online momentum into real-world action. Throughout her career, she has supervised every aspect of digital strategy and advised political candidates and organizations at the local, statewide and federal levels. Claire thrives when developing tactics and content that are both authentic to a client’s voice and the platform on which they are shared, and she has direct experience in building scalable programs in each aspect of digital strategy, including website development, multi-channel social media programs, video and graphic production, digital advertising, email/SMS communications and more. A lifelong Midwesterner, Claire has been a digital director for the Missouri and Ohio Democratic Parties, Michigan Senator Gary Peters and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. She originally hails from the St. Louis area and graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.
Maddie Stengel
Senior Director of Editorial Content (she/her/hers)
Maddie is a story-driven writer focused on strategic communications and executive messaging. Before joining C-Strategies, she served as Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s speechwriter and interim director of communications, and worked as a speechwriter on JB Pritzker’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign. Prior to her time in the public sector, Maddie was on the public relations team at Sidley Austin LLP and wrote speeches for the firm’s first female management committee chair, Yvette Ostolaza. Maddie is particularly skilled at defining and differentiating voices in leadership positions. She is deeply passionate about equity and accessibility (her career began in nonprofit theater where she designed accessible services for disabled patrons). As a classically-trained actor, she is also equipped to coach public speakers who need to engage live audiences. Maddie holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Acting from Ithaca College and a Master’s of Science in Communication from Northwestern University.
Shawn Taylor
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF Content (she/her/hers)
Shawn is a writer, communications/PR professional and author. She spent her 23-year career in journalism working for large-market newspapers in the Midwest, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Detroit Free Press, the Kansas City Star and the Chicago Tribune. Her 15 years with the Tribune afforded her opportunities to grow through several lateral moves across departments and desks, including as a copy editor, crime reporter, a business writer/columnist focused on workforce issues, and a feature writer. Shawn taps into her extensive media prowess to raise her clients’ thought leadership positions and programmatic visibility. Her expertise and research capabilities include women’s issues; workforce; small business; education; labor and management; construction; civil rights; philanthropy; aviation/aerospace; defense; manufacturing; technology; demographics; entertainment; and workforce development. Shawn co-authored two books in the Jordan Manning crime series by Emmy award-winner Tamron Hall, “As the Wicked Watch,” (Oct. 2021, Harper Collins/William Morrow), and “Watch Where They Hide,” (March 2024).