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Meet The Team

We are communications operatives who have been battle tested in the most challenging and complicated campaigns, causes and corporate environments in the country.

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Meet The Focal Point Team

Focal Point Strategy Group is staffed with experienced  operatives who have been battle tested in the most challenging and complicated campaigns, causes and corporate environments in the country. 

We bring years worth of media relationships and experience handling every possible scenario from product launches to crisis communications. This top tier team utilizes a blend of traditional and modern communication channels to optimize message reach and impact – and deliver for our clients.

Zac Petkanas

Founding Partner

Zac Petkanas is a veteran communications strategist and messaging expert with nearly 20 years experience working at the highest levels of Capitol Hill and on the toughest political and advocacy campaigns in the country.

He began his career on Capitol Hill, running communications for the House Committee on Rules and ending as Communications Director to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

He spent nearly a decade living on the road, running communications for the hardest fought congressional, state and presidential campaigns in the country from Harry Reid’s legendary 2010 Senate re-election to rapid response for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential operation.

Petkanas is an expert at building partner coalitions and rapid response War Rooms. As Senior Advisor to the Democratic National Committee, he built and ran the acclaimed Trump War Room to hold the new administration accountable through its first 100 days, including through the cabinet confirmation process, Supreme Court confirmations and policies like the Muslim Ban.

Since then, he’s built and run dozens of rapid response operations for partner coalitions and organizations, including around the Coronavirus pandemic, the Mueller Report, both Trump impeachments, passing the Inflation Reduction Act, the Trump indictments, and attacks on voting rights in the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Petkanas is a frequent commentator on cable news and appears regularly in the New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press and many other major media outlets.

Email Zac@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Kyle Herrig

Founding Partner

Kyle Herrig is a seasoned communications and research strategist who has spent the last two decades at the heart of Washington’s most challenging political and advocacy battles.

He has been a key player in building the progressive movement’s accountability infrastructure. As the founder and former president of Accountable.US, a nonpartisan, progressive organization, Herrig utilized investigative research and impactful communications to hold government officials and special interests accountable. He also co-founded American Oversight, a legal powerhouse that employs open records litigation to ensure policymakers are held accountable.

Most recently, Herrig founded and led the Congressional Integrity Project, a 501(c)(4) organization that played a pivotal role in high-stakes political conflicts surrounding the use of investigations and oversight powers by House Republicans. Notably, his work successfully halted two House impeachment inquiries—one into President Biden and another into Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

A lawyer by training, Herrig advises numerous progressive and legal organizations on their communications and research strategies. He is a sought-after commentator on a wide range of issues, regularly providing insights to prominent outlets such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, Politico, and various state and local publications.

Email Kyle@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Rodericka Applewhaite
Vice President

Rodericka Applewhaite is a former opposition researcher turned communications professional who grew up in Carrollton, Georgia and most recently served as Director of Black Media in the Biden White House.

In previous cycles, Rodericka spearheaded offensive narratives to combat a crowded Republican gubernatorial primary as the Senior Communications Advisor for Michigan Democratic Party – an effort that contributed to Governor Gretchen Whitmer winning re-election in 2022 by double digits and a larger margin than her first term. One of the first hires for his historic run, Rodericka served on the rapid response team for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign. In 2018, she led EMILY’s List’s vetting operation for state and local candidates, processing over 700 potential endorsees for the prominent pro-choice organization during the 2017 and 2018 cycles.

Off the trail, she can be found at any one of DC’s live music venues.

Email Ro@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Julia Ezell-Thomas
Vice President, Digital and Creator Engagement

Julia Ezell-Thomas is a digital strategist whose career path is anything but typical for Washington. While most operatives have spent their careers cycling through campaigns and politics, Julia has worked across an eclectic mix of industries — from nonprofits and professional sports networks to live entertainment, edtech, and even a national science association. That cross-sector experience gives her a unique edge in understanding how to connect with vastly different audiences and build digital strategies that actually break through.

At Focal Point, Julia leads the firm’s creator engagement program and digital services, helping clients harness the power of social platforms and online communities to tell their story, drive conversation, and shape public opinion. She has developed strategies that span the full spectrum of digital work: building brand identities, producing viral content, and launching campaigns that resonate well beyond the DC bubble.

When she’s not plotting the next big digital move, Julia is married and raising two kids — which means she’s also running the most demanding rapid-response operation of all: parenthood.

Email Julia@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Esperanza Peral
Senior Associate

Esperanza Peral is the Senior Associate at Focal Point Strategy Group, where she helps play a pivotal role in executing strategic communication initiatives for clients dedicated to defending democracy.

Prior to joining Focal Point, Esperanza served as Deputy Press Secretary for the North Carolina Coordinated Campaign, where she contributed to shaping messaging and media strategies in a critical election cycle. She also gained valuable experience as a Research Fellow at Jones Mandel, where she supported data-driven political analysis.

A proud North Carolinian and Tar Heel, Esperanza recently relocated to Washington, D.C., with her English Bulldog, Boo.

Email Esperanza@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Jayson O’Neill
Senior Director

Jayson O’Neill previously was a Senior Manager for Sustainable Finance at Climate Nexus, leading communications for organizations and investors on climate financial regulations and risks. With nearly two decades of experience in political, environmental, and conservation communications, Jayson has held roles in government and business, as well as accountability, conservation, and climate organizations. His work has been cited in major publications and he has testified before Congress. Based in Montana, Jayson is also a volunteer ski patroller, hunter, flyfisher, and public lands advocate.

Email Jayson@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Leah Hurwitz
Senior Associate

Leah Hurwitz is a Senior Associate at Focal Point Strategy Group, where she manages client and media relationships, produces various communication materials, and supports the team’s strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Focal Point, Leah was a Press Assistant on the Harris-Walz campaign, supporting the communications team’s day-to-day operations. She also served as a Press Assistant for the Democratic National Convention Committee, where she played a key role in planning and executing communications operations and strategies leading up to and during the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Email Leah@focalpointstrategygroup.com

César Vargas-Torrico
Operations Manager

César Vargas-Torrico is the Senior Associate at Focal Point Strategy Group, where he works with the team to craft communications materials and helps manage, create, and distribute materials on behalf of clients.

Before joining Focal Point Strategy Group, César served as the Press Assistant for Senator Chris Coons, where he played a key role in the management of the Senator’s social media accounts, drafted press releases and advisories, lifted the Senators’ work in his Judiciary, Small Business, and Appropriations committees, and assisted press staff in the daily operations of a highly productive press office. In 2019, César started on the Hill in the House Committee on Rules and then Congresswoman Norma Torres’ team.

Hailing from Bolivia, Cesar’s secret weapon is a Spotify playlist that seamlessly transitions from reggaeton to campaign strategy podcasts. When César isn’t helping his team craft press materials, he spends time with his Siberian Husky and plays the electric guitar in his Washington-D.C. based band.

Email Cesar@focalpointstrategygroup.com

Jack Merritt
Associate

Jack Merritt is an Associate at Focal Point Strategy Group, where he prepares and distributes various communications materials for clients in the accountability and legal advocacy space. Jack was most recently a Press Assistant at the Democratic National Committee, where he played a central role in the organization’s 2024 rapid response operation, including its “Trump’s MAGA Veepstakes” project. Prior to that, he was a Communications Assistant on Evan McMullin’s 2022 U.S. Senate campaign, where he helped craft and execute the candidate’s overall communications strategy. He also gained valuable experience as a Press Intern for both Rep. Susie Lee and Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

A born-and-raised South Carolinian, Jack is a former ice cream slinger and barista, and loves both Star Wars and Star Trek. He lives in Washington, DC.

Email Jack@focalpointstrategygroup.com