Blakey & Agnew prides itself on the
skills, wit and savvy of a diverse group of individuals
whose work and life experience help us offer our clients
service that is unique.
Among our talent we have a professionally
trained chef, a former cheerleader, a community activist,
two Eagle Scouts, and a rector’s wife. These same
staff members have also served at the highest levels of
government communications, directed association public
affairs programs, and successfully operated businesses.
We bring to each client the total of our experience, and
we work to integrate those experiences to the client’s
benefit.
Leslie
Topp Blakey
Principal
With a background that ranges from management
analyst to chef to business owner, Leslie Topp Blakey
offers an unusually creative breadth of communications
savvy and experience.
Whether it’s honing in on the right
message or making use of breaking political and business
developments, she knows how to gauge public opinion and
engage public attention. While specializing in developing
and implementing innovative communications strategies
and programs, Leslie also provides oversight, client consultation
and strategic direction and, within the firm, shares final
creative and management responsibilities.
Included in her diverse background is extensive
experience in survey research and grassroots initiatives,
with her most recent projects relating to transportation
and highway safety. As executive director of the Coalition
for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors, Leslie
helps unite a large and growing number of public and private
organizations around the need for increased federal investment
in intermodal freight infrastructure. She manages the
Coalition’s work to increase awareness of the benefits
of trade infrastructure development and to coordinate
legislative strategy and support.
She also directs three highway safety initiatives:
the National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project (NHDDP), the
Coalition to Fight Hardcore Drunk Driving (CFHDD), and
the Campaign to Stop Red Light Running (SRLR). The NHDDP
serves as a clearinghouse for information on the problem
of hardcore drunk driving, relying on a panel of internationally
recognized experts to provide policy recommendations at
the national level. The CFHDD coordinates the efforts
of The Century Council, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
and the National Transportation Safety Board to support
state legislative action on the hardcore problem.
For the SRLR, Leslie directs the work of
the Campaign to provide the public and their elected officials
with a better understanding of the seriousness of red
light running, as well as the importance of law enforcement
practices and tools to make our highways safer.
Leslie began her association with Blakey
& Agnew in 1997, when she conducted a nationwide survey
with state policy administrators, law enforcement personnel
and substance abuse treatment professionals. Her work,
along with other contributors, culminated in the publication
of Combating Hardcore Drunk Driving: A Sourcebook
of Promising Strategies, Laws and Programs, a publication
that is widely used and referenced by the traffic safety
community.
Previously, Leslie founded and operated
Le Caprice restaurant from 1985 to 1997. Although, one
of Washington’s smallest restaurants, Le Caprice
garnered a national reputation and was frequently mentioned
in both local and national media.
Beginning in 1979, Leslie served the Commissioner
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a management analyst
developing programs for the recruitment and training of
high-technology personnel. Work with associations includes
consulting for the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America,
and grassroots lobbying on association issues for Bonner
& Associates. Early public experience included conducting
a large-scale survey of American youth in Europe.
Leslie received her B.S. in sociology and
a M.S. in public administration, with a focus in economics,
from Florida State University. Leslie is fluent in French
and holds a degree from the Lycee Hoteliere de Strasbourg
in France.
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Jeff
Agnew
Principal
With a focus on marketing and business communications
spanning two decades, Jeff Agnew offers clients a wealth
of diverse skills and professional experience, including
management consulting, corporate communications and public
relations.
In addition to providing strategic direction
for the firm and directing new business development, Jeff
oversees all aspects of client services. A specialist
in media relations, he has broad experience in media strategy
and development for a wide variety of companies and organizations.
He has special expertise in developing and managing programs
in the aviation, surface and rail transportation and education
industries.
Prior to joining Blakey & Agnew, Jeff
worked as a consultant to Pepper International Associates,
a management consulting firm that helps businesses develop
product and service markets in the People's Republic of
China. Before acquiring his master’s degree in business
administration, Jeff worked for Bonner & Associates,
a grassroots lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., where
his work focused on the health care and banking industries.
From 1989 to 1991, Jeff worked in New York
as an account executive with Rubenstein, Wolfson &
Co., a financial services public relations firm (a Shandwick
company). He conducted targeted media relations campaigns
for clients and specialized in writing press materials
and obtaining media placement. Jeff also provided day-to-day
account management for clients, including S.G. Warburg
& Co. and the Financial Services Council.
Jeff served in the Reagan administration,
working closely with two U.S. Secretaries of Labor. As
a Special Assistant to the Secretary, he was a principal
liaison between the Secretary and the media. Jeff also
managed the logistics for the Secretary’s domestic
and international public appearances.
Before his service in the Executive Branch
of government, Jeff held various positions in national
politics, including Director of Radio News Services at
the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).
He holds a M.B.A. in international business
and marketing from The American University and received
his B.A. in communications from the University of the
Pacific.
Jeff resides in Fairfax, Virginia, with
his wife and their three sons.
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Kevin
Kruke
Senior Associate
Kevin
Kruke is a nationally recognized expert in public policy
with 25 years of advocacy experience in Washington, D.C.
Now a principal of Strategic Communication, Inc., Kevin
consults with Blakey & Agnew on transportation issues.
He has served as executive vice president of the Highway
Users Federation, where he managed the association's $3.4
million budget and staff. He was also vice president for
public and international affairs with The American Trucking
Associations, where he managed media and public affairs
outreach programs that influenced passage of the 1991
ISTEA federal highway legislation and 1990 Clean Air Act
Amendments.
Kevin served as special assistant to President Ronald
Reagan and deputy director for public liaison at the White
House, where he advised the President and his senior staff
on legislation, regulatory actions and public communications.
On behalf of the President, he directed White House events,
prepared presidential statements, and coordinated key
pre-election appearances for more than 60 top administration
spokespersons.
Prior to his tenure at the White House, Secretary Elizabeth
Dole selected Kevin as congressional relations officer
for the U.S. Department of Transportation. His duties
included apprising Members of Congress of the Administration's
views on pending legislation and advancing administrative
initiatives. He was appointed by President George Bush
to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Motor
Carrier Advisory Committee.
Kevin is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
an Eagle Scout and holds a B.A. in economics, with minors
in German and statistics from the University of Wisconsin.
He has a M.A. in philosophy from George Washington University
with a concentration in environmental economics and industrial
organization.
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Lu
Stanton León
Senior Associate
Lu
Stanton León is an experienced writer, editor and
media relations consultant with demonstrated success in
business communications and journalism. For more than
25 years she has written for a variety of publications
and businesses, including public affairs firms, business
consultants, newspapers, academic institutions and other
nonprofits.
Based in Washington, D.C., Lu provides marketing
materials, corporate communications consultation, and
publication services that project the image and generate
the exposure needed for our clients’ success. She
is skilled at developing media and marketing strategies,
as well as producing all necessary collateral materials.
Her primary focus at Blakey & Agnew has been on traffic
safety and education issues. She recently served as principal
writer of a guide to red light camera programs and of
a sourcebook of promising strategies to combat hardcore
drunk driving. Her writing and media relations efforts
have led to widespread media coverage and positive exposure
for clients.
In addition to writing and editing, Lu has
a depth of experience in all facets of newsletter and
brochure production, including concept development, design,
layout, writing, editing and editorial evaluation.
Prior to joined Blakey & Agnew, Lu worked
as a communications consultant for a management consulting
firm based in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1993, she co-authored
The Learning Edge: How Smart Managers and Smart Companies
Stay Ahead (McGraw-Hill).
Lu has worked as an editor and reporter
for three major, metropolitan newspapers: The (Baltimore)
Evening Sun, The (Bergen) Record in Hackensack, N.J.,
and The Charlotte (NC) News. Her positions ranged from
police reporter to night city editor, with a variety of
assignments in between, including retail and marketing,
local and state government, education and medicine. She
holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Adrienne
Gregory
Senior Associate
Adrienne Gregory is a senior associate in the public affairs firm of Blakey & Agnew, LLC, which manages the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC). Blakey & Agnew is a public affairs firm specializing in transportation with expertise in developing communications strategies that make complex regulatory, engineering, and legal issues more easily understood by broader audiences. CAGTC was founded in 2001 and is dedicated to the expansion and modernization of America's freight and goods movement infrastructure. Its members include leading transportation associations, major ports, trade corridors, state and local government agencies, and individual rail, trucking, and engineering companies.
At Blakey & Agnew, Adrienne's main focus has been on the Coalition for America's Gateways and Trade Corridors. As CAGTC's day-to-day manager, Adrienne works with more than 35 national member organizations in building grassroots support to develop and execute strategy for the influence and passage of federal legislation. She has geared several successful media and Congressional awareness campaigns that have resulted in positive news coverage and feedback, including earned articles and opinion pieces.
Prior to her work with Blakey & Agnew, Adrienne interned with Podesta Mattoon, a prominent D.C. lobbying firm. Before Adrienne's tenure with Podesta Mattoon, she served as both deputy press secretary and scheduler for the Scott Newton for Attorney General Campaign in Mississippi. During the campaign, Adrienne honed her media relations skills, coordinated press conferences, drafted and edited press releases and maintained event schedules for the candidate and staff members. Adrienne also helped direct the Jim Point for State Representative Campaign. Adrienne played a key role in all aspects of this campaign, including fundraising and volunteer coordination. In addition, Adrienne worked as a freelance journalist for both the Galveston Daily News, in Galveston, Texas, and the Rogersville Review, in East Tennessee.
Adrienne graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in both Political Science and English and a minor in Philosophy. Adrienne and her family, including her six younger sisters, are originally from Memphis, Tennessee.
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Elaine Nessle
Associate
Elaine Nessle, an associate at the firm, works with the National Foundation for Trauma Care (NFTC), in addition to her other clients, to help guide the creation of a new brand identity to accompany their legislative campaign for uncompensated care.
Prior to her work with Blakey & Agnew, Elaine interned and freelanced for the Elmira Star-Gazette, in Elmira, New York. During her time at the Star-Gazette — Gannett’s first newspaper — she reported, wrote and edited for the daily newspaper and a monthly health magazine.
Elaine became seriously interested in journalism while attending St. Bonaventure University, where she was an active member of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) organization. While working for the SIFE media team she wrote news articles for newspapers throughout New York State and issued press releases to promote the organization. Additionally, she filmed and digitally cut the organization’s events to create news stories and promotional videos that were used by numerous television news stations. While at St. Bonaventure University, Elaine also served as an anchor-reporter for the campus television news station and a disk jockey for the campus radio station, which earned accolades from the Princeton Review as the number two college radio station in the nation while she was there.
Elaine graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a B.A. in journalism and mass communications. While at the university she completed a semester abroad at Oxford University, where she studied European media relations and Shakespearean literature. Elaine and her family are from Corning, New York.
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Laura Moen
Account Coordinator
As the account coordinator, Laura manages the day-to-day affairs of the office, responds to staff, client, media and vendor requests, updates media databases and prepares communications materials, such as fact sheets, media lists and press releases. Laura also facilitates new business research and development.
Prior to her work with Blakey & Agnew, Laura interned for the Brookings Institution in the Office of Communications. During her time there, Laura assisted with media relations, events, contact databases, attendance lists and Congressional outreach. Her work at Brookings fostered a passion for public relations and provided some real direction for her chosen career path.
Laura also interned at Rumi Forum, a small non-profit dedicated to spreading peace and democracy throughout the world. During this internship she also assisted with events, as well as drafting event summaries and communicating with participants. During her breaks from school, Laura also worked at Ryder Transportation as a rental representative.
Laura studied international affairs and Spanish for six months in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was directly enrolled in the Universidad Católica Argentina where she had the opportunity to perfect her Spanish speaking and writing abilities.
Laura graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in both International Affairs and Spanish Language and Literature. She had a regional concentration in Latin America. Laura and her family are originally from Buffalo, New York.
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