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TEAM

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OUR TEAM

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Anthony Hayes | Founder and President

Anthony Hayes has spent more than 20 years working in communications, crisis, and issue management. In 2017 he founded The Hayes Initiative (THI), an award-winning premiere public affairs firm providing expertise at the crossroads of communications, government relations, and stakeholder management. Anthony has led THI to year-over-year growth and seven-figure revenues by serving clients across industries including AirBNB, Google, City Football Group, the National 9/11 Museum, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Clinton Global Initiatives, The Related Companies, and Blade by establishing a team of trusted and knowledgeable advisors who know that the right connections, preparation, and a defined mission will translate to action and deliver tangible results. In 2022, THI was named PR Agency of the Year by the Stevie Business Awards and most recently named one of City & State’s 2023 Political PR Power 50.

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Taína Borrero | Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development

Taína Borrero’s nearly 20 years’ experience in government relations, communications, nonprofit development, event strategy and execution, and business development help differentiate The Hayes Initiative (THI) as a sought-after cross-sector resource for white-glove public affairs service.

At THI, Taína provides public affairs support to clients including the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the New York State Department of Labor, Nuvalence, and The New York City Football Club. She also leads public affairs efforts for Blade Urban Air Mobility, and served as THI’s senior advisor on Latino Strategy & Outreach to the NY State Democratic Party. Most recently, she worked closely on the election campaign for the first female Governor of the State of New York.

 

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Jeffry Pennock | Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

Jeffry Pennock recently brought his 15 years’ of experience in political campaigns, government, and the nonprofit sector to the award-winning Hayes Initiative. Jeffry’s expertise across industries allows him to support THI’s wide range of high-profile cross-sector clients and bridge the gap between communications, government relations, and stakeholder management — overlapping buckets that often require multiple specialists. Jeffry manages daily client deliverables around media, communications, government relations, and community relations, providing a single point of contact, firsthand knowledge, and problem-solving.

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Cecilia Rodriguez | Account Executive

Cecilia Rodriguez brings a decade of experience in the political and nonprofit spheres—including her expert knowledge of Spanish-language political communications— to her role as The Hayes Initiative account executive. At THI, she manages deliverables for many of the firm’s high-profile clients. Prior to THI, she served as Deputy Press Secretary for the New York Democratic Party (NYDP), where she worked to elect Governor Kathy Hochul, the first female Governor of New York. In that role, Cecilia was the primary contact for the Spanish language press corps, and placed Gov. Hochul’s first Spanish-language campaign interview on Telemundo. She placed similar interviews for NYDP spokespeople on Univision, AM NY, Buffalo News, and El Diario. During the campaign, Cecilia wrote press releases in both English and Spanish, and executed media events to define and reinforce the Governor’s and State Party’s agendas. Previously, she worked at the Democratic Governors Association, where she generated all the Spanish-language web content for former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro’s campaign websites, and also at EMILY’s List. She built both organizations’ Spanish-language capacities from the ground up. A passionate political communicator, Cecilia worked at ActBlue and the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff while an undergraduate at Tufts, and served as the president of the Tufts University Democrats.

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Selden Tenzing

Selden Tenzing is a Junior at City College of New York pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. At THI, Selden supports corporate and non-profit clients on a broad range of communications and public affairs projects. Selden brings experience in community engagement, management, and fundraising to the THI team. She has managed up to 50 volunteers in the New York area for Key Club, an international service organization for high school students. Additionally, she organized events like the annual Flushing Meadows Corona Park Breast Cancer Walk and raised over $1,000 in multiple years for the St. Jude Memorial Foundation.