Christy Setzer is the President and Founder of New Heights Communications, a Washington, DC public affairs firm that provides strategic and communications counsel to mission-driven clients. Setzer, a political and communications strategist with more than 20 years’ experience in national politics, crafts hard-hitting strategies that win elections, inform policy and drive the national conversation.
Setzer started New Heights in 2010 after more than a decade on campaigns and working for progressive causes. She served as a national spokesperson on the presidential campaigns of Vice President Al Gore, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, and Senator Christopher J. Dodd. She set national communications strategy and directed media relations for the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Service Employees International Union.
Setzer frequently appears on cable television news offering the Democratic perspective on political developments in Congress and in races across the country. On Election Night 2016, she served as an on-air commentator for CNBC. She is a regular guest on MSNBC, CNBC’s “Kudlow” and “Squawk on the Street,” Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson” and “Cavuto Live” and with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dobbs. Christy also enjoys speaking to audiences on women’s leadership, public relations and politics. In 2018, she was named one of the "top 100 most influential political professionals of the year" by Washington COMPOL magazine.
Setzer is a graduate of Vassar College and lives in Washington, DC with her husband and son.
Jaime Horn is a Principal with New Heights, where she brings nearly 20 years of experience in communications and politics. As a consultant for Blue Engine Message & Media, Jaime managed a team that was responsible for garnering national and regional coverage for corporate and non-profit initiatives alike, including the launch of the best-selling book, “Moneyball for Government,” and Even the Score, a campaign for women’s sexual health about which The New York Times said, “the controversial campaign … helped tip the balance for flibanserin, which has been rejected twice by the FDA.” As Vice President of Communications for progressive radio network, Air America Radio, Jaime managed proactive communications strategies to promote the national radio network and directed crisis response plans amid numerous conservative attacks on the network and on-air talent. Jaime began her communications career in 2002 as a Senior Publicist and Editorial Associate for Miramax Books where she helped develop and implement publicity campaigns for numerous New York Times best-sellers, including Tim Russert’s “BIG RUSS & ME,” former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright’s “MADAM SECRETARY” and Queen Noor of Jordan’s “LEAP OF FAITH.”.
Josh Cohen, Principal at New Heights Communications, is an award winning political consultant with more than a decade crafting political, communications and digital strategy to win electoral campaigns, advance legislation and influence public opinion, in the United States and abroad. Josh has worked at the intersection of policy, politics, advocacy, communications and digital strategy for more than 15 years on behalf of candidates, organizations, and elected leaders. Those include the Democratic National Committee, Obama for America, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator Richard Durbin, the Service Employees International Union, the AFL-CIO, the American Public Transportation Association, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, For Our Future, and many other clients in his capacity as a consultant. In these roles, Josh has helped establish campaigns goals, develop strategy, and execute a plan to win. Josh has presented around the world and served as a guest lecturer at the George Washington University School of Political Management. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and son.
Aurora Matthews is an award-winning writer and communications and public affairs strategist. As Vice President at New Heights Communications she brings more than ten years of experience in D.C. communications and public affairs.
Prior to joining New Heights Communications, Aurora was a publicist at Sunshine Sachs for various global affairs, social issues and nonprofit clients including the Malala Fund, Jean Case and the Case Foundation, Water for People and Facing Addiction.
She also worked at The Hatcher Group, connecting nonprofits and foundations to policymakers and the media. While there, Aurora led a communications campaign – using a strategy that mixed traditional media with innovative digital and online media actions – as part of a successful coalition to repeal the death penalty in Maryland.
She also earned her master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). Her research focused on state and human security issues, particularly human trafficking, genocide and inter- and intra-ethnic conflicts. While working toward her degree, Aurora worked the Ford Institute for Human Security and served as an editor for the Pitt Policy Journal.
Aurora also served on the board of FAIR Girls, an international nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. focused on the prevention of the exploitation of girls who have experienced homelessness, life inside the foster care system, sexual abuse, and trafficking.
Krysta Curl is New Heights’ Director of Campaigns. She is, at heart, an organizer who uses traditional and digital communications tools to win for working people. During her seven years with the Service Employees International Union Krysta worked on a full range of high profile national and local legislative, political, union organizing and corporate accountability campaigns. Since then she has worked with a healthcare union to secure their membership in advance of the Janus decision, worked with building trades unions to save thousands of good union jobs, led a hard-hitting fight to win a fair contract for adjunct professors and is working with a state-wide healthcare and public sector union to develop a new model to organize thousands of private agency homecare workers while also building member and non-member engagement in the union’s political and legislative work. A Kentucky native now based in Northeast Ohio, Krysta understands what’s at stake for unions and their members and how to amplify their voices to build power at work and in statehouses across the country.
Solace Duncan is a Senior Associate at New Heights. She was inspired to champion important causes during an international campaign to promote couple’s HIV counseling in Zambia. She enjoys crafting messages, coalition building, and creating a digital footprint to elevate client profiles and reputation in the media. Most recently, Solace served as the lead communications officer at the Ethiopian Community Development Council, a national refugee resettlement agency, and continues to serve as the Communications Director for Refugee Congress, a project of UNHCR. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from the George Washington University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Howard University.
Jimmy Donofrio is the Director of Digital Strategy at New Heights Communications, helping our clients discover, build, and expand their online presence through social media, web development, branding, and design. An alum of the Democratic National Committee as their Deputy Media Director, and advocacy group Americans United for Change as their Digital Director, Jimmy boasts a diverse background in digital communications and a portfolio that reaches beyond political media into the realms of sports, entertainment, and merchandising. He is a Gold Pollie Award-winning web developer and a Reed Award-winning ad maker. Jimmy is a graduate of Temple University and lives in Washington, DC.
Eissa Saeed has over three years of progressive work in strategic communication, social media management, media production and research, and event management with international media organizations and non-profit institutions. He's also written several research articles and developed communication strategies for various non-profit institutions.
Copyright © 2019 New Heights Communications. All rights reserved.