meet the team
Our team of seasoned experts helps companies, organizations and individuals develop targeted, relevant and authentic narratives and proven communications strategies that consistently deliver measurable gains.
JIM MESSINA
Founder & CEO, The Messina Group
Jim is founder and CEO of Greenbrier's parent company, The Messina Group (TMG), a full-service strategic consultancy. The mastermind behind President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, Jim’s strategies established the modern presidential campaign. In 2013, Messina launched TMG. In this role, Messina provides strategic consulting to Democratic organizations on domestic political issues in the U.S. and businesses worldwide. Previously, Jim served as Deputy Chief of Staff in President Barack Obama’s White House and Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to former Senator and Ambassador to China Max Baucus. Jim provides insight on news outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Fox News, BBC, and others. In addition, Jim serves on the boards of Blockchain.com, Fortera, Vectra.ai, LanzaTech, the United States Soccer Foundation, and the Montana Land Reliance.
ADRIAN DURBIN
Partner
Adrian is a senior communications and government relations expert with extensive experience handling corporate, financial, crisis, policy, and executive communications, often in high-pressure environments. He joined Greenbrier from Lyft, where he was head of communications. Before joining Lyft, Adrian held multiple roles at McKesson, a Fortune 10 healthcare company. Prior to that, he held several positions within Massachusetts politics. Adrian completed a dual MBA-MPH program at UC Berkeley, and received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Claudia, and their three children.
ABRAM SMITH
Vice President
An expert in finance and digital currency, Abram has been part of the Greenbrier team since the start, and he currently leads the firm’s work in the blockchain space. Having worked in PR and communications for nearly a decade, Abram has mastered the art of telling a great story to the right audience and enjoys watching his efforts have a tangible effect on a business reaching its goals. Cutting his teeth during the frontier years at Uber, Abram has developed a reputation among clients and colleagues as infinitely reliable and always thinking a dozen steps ahead of a challenge. Abram is a native of Northern California.
KELI FAZIO
Vice President
Whether in health, industry, or nonprofit contexts, Keli harnesses her considerable expertise in interpersonal and corporate communication to create strategies that align with the values and goals of individuals and organizations. Prior to joining Greenbrier, Keli was Chair of the Communication Department and an Associate Professor of Communication and Public Health at The College of New Jersey, where her leadership contributed to educational policies and health and safety recommendations through the pandemic. Keli has a doctorate from Penn State, an M.A. from The University of Delaware, and a B.A. from The College of New Jersey in communication. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.
ANNIE PARKER
Director
Annie is a seasoned publicist who has spent her career working with both established brands and launching startups within the tech and entertainment spaces. Her experience spans across apps, consumer products, lifestyle, digital content, television and film. She is passionate about her clients and works fervently to keep them in the spotlight by managing communications efforts through integrated, creative strategies centered on executive visibility, media relations, events and more. Annie is based in Portland, Oregon.
ARTURO BURCIAGA
Communications Associate
Over a decade of designing and executing winning policy, communications and digital strategies. Arturo was part of the historic Hispanic Media teams which helped President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid win their reelections. His career has included positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the IRS amongst many others. Arturo is a native of Mexico and based in Los Angeles.
ALLISON GUTHRIE
Senior Communications Manager
With a background in branding, marketing, and advertising, Allison brings years of strategic and executional experience to Greenbrier. Her work in the travel and nonprofit industries and with Chick-fil-A and AT&T while at The Richards Group and Epsilon provides a creative perspective for clients. Allison is based in Dallas.
LAUREN BURT
Senior Consultant
Lauren is a PR pro who focuses on healthcare, retail and financial services. Previously internal to Amy’s Kitchen, Lauren led internal communications, crisis and consumer events across the U.S. and Canada. Lauren has worked with some of Silicon Valley’s leading PR firms and managed accounts for the biggest names in tech. Lauren is based in the Bay Area.
MANDY WEAVER
Executive Assistant
Mandy ensures the smooth operation of daily schedules and efficient handling of client inquiries to enable timely access to the Greenbrier team as needed. Mandy manages administrative duties such as calendar management, event coordination, travel accommodations and client communication. Mandy is active in her community as a small business owner in the strength training industry. In her free time she enjoys biking, camping and hiking in and around Portland, Oregon.
JESSE COLZANI
Senior Communications Associate
Jesse has four years of experience working in European public affairs and policymaking where he worked with clients to improve their advocacy strategies on public interest matters, including environmental protection, human rights, anti-corruption, and lobbying regulation. Before joining Greenbrier, Jesse worked for The Good Lobby, where he leveraged his legal background to help clients on regulatory issues and developed an incubator program focused on environmental advocacy. Jesse is a researcher and writer interested in the social and political impact of blockchain technologies. He has published articles on the geopolitical aspects of blockchain and Bitcoin and has guest lectured at NYU in Florence.
ASHLEY HOFFBECK
Communications Associate
Ashley is a public relations and marketing professional with agency experience in both B2B and B2C communications, working with burgeoning startups and household names across a wide range of industries. After starting her career in the entertainment field, Ashley diversified her portfolio to get a well-rounded understanding of strategic communications and be able to pivot as needed working on clients ranging from beauty and lifestyle to technical projects for AV startups and renowned medical experts. Ashley prides herself on her ability to quickly adapt to new industries, digging into research and synthesizing data to fully immerse herself within the appropriate media landscapes to deliver stellar results for clients. Ashley holds a B.S. in Communication and Advertising from Portland State University and is based in Portland, Oregon.
ALEXANDRA LAMANNA
Senior Advisor
Alexandra is a senior communications and public affairs expert with significant experience operating at the highest levels of politics, government, and the private sector. Alexandra was a Day One political appointee in the Biden Administration, serving as White House Spokesperson and Assistant Press Secretary, as well as senior spokesperson for Secretary Janet L. Yellen and the Department of the Treasury. Alexandra joined the Administration from Lyft where she led a team focused on strategic, executive, financial, and crisis communications.
DANA DAVIS
Senior Advisor
Dana is a strategic communications executive who specializes in helping companies shape their story and build their brand. Dana got her start in healthcare PR, where she represented some of the world’s largest healthcare companies, counseling executives on everything from regulatory issues to online community organizing to Congressional hearings. Dana then joined Lyft, where she was responsible for safety and crisis communications. Most recently, Dana served as Head of Communications at Unqork, a Series C enterprise SaaS startup, where she built the company’s profile with media, investors, customers and developers. Dana holds a BA in Creative Writing from Northwestern University and resides in New York City.
