Press Contact: Alex Sommer, [email protected]

New York, NY – Building off a decade-plus of helping the most cutting-edge and ambitious companies and organizations succeed by solving major regulatory and public affairs challenges, Tusk Strategies today announced Shontell Smith, Head of the NY Practice, and Cristóbal Alex, Head of the DC Office, have been promoted to Partner.

Said Chris Coffey, CEO, “Cristóbal and Shontell are so good at what they do. Not only do they provide the best guidance and strongest relationships for our clients, but they make everyone at Tusk smarter and better at their jobs. They’ve played an outsized role in our firm’s latest success and I’m thrilled they will be increasing their leadership roles here as we start the year.”

Cristóbal joined Tusk after serving as White House Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. He currently leads Latino engagement for Future Forward, the Super PAC supporting President Biden, and serves on the Board of Directors of Latino Victory Project. Cristóbal is a well-respected voice on MSNBC and other major outlets and publications.

Shontell joined Tusk after serving as Chief of Staff and Majority Counsel to the New York State Senate Democratic Majority Conference, where she was responsible for managing the legal, finance, press, and public policy departments under Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

The promotions follow Tusk’s rapid growth over the two past two years. Recent highlights include:

• Bringing on new talent in Washington, DC;
• The launch of the CHIPS Act Practice by Bernadette Carrillo, who formerly served as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo;
• Building out the Crypto + FinTech Practice, which is led by Partner Eric Soufer; and
• The development of a new Los Angeles office helmed by EVP Jackie Zupsic

The firm was founded in 2010 by venture capitalist, philanthropist and political strategist Bradley Tusk.