Tusk’s DC Practice Accelerates Growth; Announces New Hires Tanner Palin and Maria Restrepo

October 18, 2023 – Palin and Restrepo expand federal capabilities with Capitol Hill and White House experience.

Washington, DC – 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 the latest additions to their DC office: Vice President Tanner Palin and Senior Associate Maria Restrepo.

Tanner Palin joins Tusk after serving as Communications Director and Senior Advisor for U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07). He helped guide media strategy, shaped messaging, and authored speeches described as ‘forceful’ and ‘powerful,’ by the Washington Post and other outlets. The campaign’s victory in 2018 was historic, overcoming an eight-point deficit to flip a seat held for over 30 years. Previously, he worked at Devine Mulvey Longabaugh, a Democratic political consulting firm, where he provided media and message strategy for campaigns across the country. Tanner was also an early staffer on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 run for President, a campaign that left an indelible mark on American politics.

Maria Restrepo joins Tusk after serving as the Senior Associate Director for Staff Secretary for Vice President Harris at the White House. In this role, she managed the Vice President’s daily briefing book. Prior to joining the White House, she was a Voter Protection Associate on the Biden-Harris Campaign, where she helped lead efforts to certify the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania.

Said Cristóbal Alex, Head of Tusk’s DC Office, “When I founded our DC office just over a year ago, I envisioned bringing on the most talented people from across the federal government. I’m thrilled with the team we continue to build and and look forward to providing more capabilities and expertise to our clients.”

Said Bernadette Carrillo, Managing Director, “Tanner and Maria are incredible additions to our office. Their impressive portfolios in government means they come to Tusk with enviable institutional knowledge, strategic insights, and ability to execute on our client campaigns. We’re lucky to now call them teammates.”

Palin and Restrepo mark the latest chapter in Tusk’s recent growth. The hires follow the recent launch of the CHIPS Act Practice in the Spring by Bernadette Carrillo, former Director of Intergovernmental Affairs to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and debut of the DC Practice last summer. That followed a new Los Angeles office, and Tusk expanding its presence in New York through senior hires, including former Chief of Staff to the NY Senate Majority Shontell Smith, as well as building new subject matter-specific practice areas, including Crypto + FinTech.

Tusk Strategies is led by CEO Chris Coffey, a Bloomberg administration alum and political affairs advisor to Fortune 500 c-suites. The firm was founded by venture capitalist, philanthropist and political strategist Bradley Tusk.

To learn more about Tusk Strategies, visit TuskStrategies.com.