2024 Power Players in Public Relations & Lobbying

Jason brings 20 years of experience in lobbying, communications and elections. He has won major New York campaigns for the Innocence Project, Vera Institute, Drug Policy Alliance, New York Hotel Trades Council, and others. Jason engineered legislative and electoral victories as director of political and strategic affairs for the New York Hotel Trades Council and still provides the union with political and communications counsel. He co-led the 2021 Super PAC supporting Eric Adams for mayor.

Jenny brings 20 years of experience running political, lobbying, and advocacy campaigns at the highest level of New York City and State politics. She has raised and deployed roughly $30 million on high-profile independent expenditure campaigns, including $7 million supporting Eric Adams for Mayor. Jenny co-founded two leading New York City-based charter school networks. She led advocacy and political efforts across the state in eight years as executive director of StudentsFirstNY.

George directs government and community affairs efforts on behalf of clients such as Statue City Cruises, NYC Ferry, Lincoln Square BID, Broadway Association, Times Square Alliance, and Fordham Road BID. Before forming NLC, George served for six years as COO and general counsel at NYC Tourism + Conventions, NYC’s official tourism marketing and promotion organization and chief counsel to Senator Roy M. Goodman and the Senate Committees on Investigations & Taxation and Arts and Cultural Affairs.

What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
The best advice I’ve received was that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, so always be positive and polite with those with whom you deal. You can disagree, without being disagreeable. Lastly, always be better prepared than your opponent.

Is there something you wish you knew before starting your career in this industry?
I wish I had thought to maintain a daily written journal, as I’ve interacted with thousands of fascinating people from all walks of life in my 40-year career and have been involved with thousands of issues affecting many millions of people. I could then have written a book,  although I probably would have had to leave town before it was published.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2024?
I hope to continue to be a strong advocate for our diverse array of clients and help them in every possible way to grow their businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Cristyne L. Nicholas co-founded Nicholas & Lence Communications in 2007, building a boutique firm into one of New York’s top public relations agencies. She oversees NLC’s entire roster of public relations clients from nonprofit organizations to Fortune 500 companies. Cristyne serves as the chair of the NYS Tourism Advisory Council, chairman of the Broadway Association, on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and is a member of the Women’s Forum.

Diana is a skilled lobbyist with over 30 years of private sector experience in economic development, tax policy, and consumer affairs. Diana’s ability to lead legislative and regulatory initiatives for major corporations has contributed greatly to the overall success and growth of Ostroff Associates. As an active member of the community, Diana serves on the Board of Trustees at Siena College and on the Board of Albany County Business Development Corporation’s AI Tech Loan Fund.

What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
I started my career in the early 90s working for The Business Council of New York State. During this time, I had amazing role models that mentored me. Our leadership team pushed me to work outside of my comfort zone and encouraged me to always go the extra mile for our clients. The advice I received, which still holds true today, is to be reliable, transparent, proactive, available, and authentic.

Is there something you wish you knew before starting your career in this industry?
How amazing the journey would be.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2024?
I hope to expand our firm’s reach into new industries that we don’t yet represent. We are fortunate to have incredible clients across a diverse range of industries, however, new sectors are constantly emerging that offer exciting opportunities for growth.

Rick began his career working as an aide to Assembly Member Melvin Zimmer before serving as an advisor to Governor Mario Cuomo. In 1995, Rick established Ostroff Associates to provide a diverse range of clients with representation before key governmental stakeholders. Rick is an active member of the Capital District community, working with a number of organizations including the South End Children’s Café, the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
Governor Mario Cuomo was my mentor and he taught me early in my career the importance of hard work and being truthful. He taught me to always be forthright with people even if they may not like the news that you are delivering. I learned to never be afraid to tell the truth to the Governor and that is something that I think has benefitted me throughout my career.

Is there something you wish you knew before starting your career in this industry?
If there’s one thing I wish I knew before starting my career in this industry, it’s how much of a lifelong journey it would become. When I first began working in government nearly 40 years ago, I never imagined that I’d still be here, deeply engaged and passionate about the work.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2024?
One thing we will accomplish in 2024 is continuing to grow and expand the firm. This goal is made possible by our incredible team, whose dedication, expertise, and innovative approach are integral to our expansion efforts. By leveraging their skills and talents, we aim to enhance our services and solidify our position as one of New York’s leading government affairs firms. Together, we are poised to achieve new heights and deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Vito R. Pitta is co-managing member of the lobbying and government relations firm, Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno LLC, representing clients before all branches of NYS and NYC government. He is also co-managing partner of Pitta LLP, where he advises clients on labor and employment issues and campaign finance, lobbying, and gift and ethics compliance. Mr. Pitta is also a Partner of Pitta & Baione LLP, a 9/11 Victim Compensation law firm.

What is the best advice you have received from a mentor?
Be a man for others. As an alumnus of Regis High School, this motto, along with the Jesuit maxim of “magis” (striving for justice and the more universal good) was something that was instilled in me nearly 24 years ago. Both in my personal life and in my work representing dozens of labor unions and nonprofits; good corporate actors; and thousands of individuals suffering from 9/11 illnesses, I am constantly motivated by that imperative.

Is there something you wish you knew before starting your career in this industry?
As a second generation lawyer and lobbyist, I did not come to this career or industry by chance or without a fair amount of pre-existing knowledge. Even with that background, however, I continue to be amazed by how misinformation and political bias can influence and result in bad policy.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish in 2024?
For approximately the past year, I have been working with a number of my colleagues to build out new technology focused on wage and hour and labor standards protections. We are confident that this new technology will allow us to better serve existing clients and enable us to serve new clients to ensure workers are paid properly and fairly. We are hoping to launch officially before the end of 2024. More to come soon!