Meet Our Team
Our associates are dedicated to their craft - and it shows through excellent strategy development and flawless execution. From nonprofit community relations campaigns to international public affairs endeavors, the team at McNicholas & Associates performs with excellence so your organization can reach peak performance
Tom McNicholas
President
Tom McNicholas
President
Tom founded the company in 1999 and has since paved the way for a wide variety of clients to gain crucial community and governmental support for their projects. Backed by experience in the communications industry and an intuitive understanding of public perception, Tom has provided vision, guidance, and management of public relations and public affairs endeavors that have resulted in favorable conversations and legislation. From living rooms to State Houses, his work for clients such as U.S. Sugar, United Healthcare, Washington Nationals, and Atlanta Braves - among others - has shaped conversations across the audience spectrum and resulted in favorable outcomes that will be felt for decades.
Prior to starting McNicholas & Associates, Tom spent 15 years in the television newsroom, working as a producer and reporter in Ohio, West Palm Beach, and Miami. Tom attended Morehead State University where he studied broadcast communications and political science.
Brittany Bearden
Director of Public Education
Brittany Bearden
Director of Public Education
Brittany has spent the past 15 years of her career working to educate and empower the public. As director of public education for McNicholas & Associates, she continues her passion for information sharing - overseeing the development of communications strategies, plans, and collateral relevant to clients’ public-facing projects. From local-oriented social media campaigns to national public-private partnership proposals, her guidance and oversight in outreach documents and materials has resulted in election successes and economic engine survivals.
Before joining McNicholas & Associates, Brittany spent ten years working for the Georgia Department of Education as a classroom agriculture teacher and served on the Executive Board for the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teacher Association, where she worked closely with Georgia policy makers. Her experience includes curriculum writing, coordinating school-based fundraisers and events and working closely with agricultural youth organizations.
Emily Massey
Director of Special Projects
Emily Massey
Director of Special Projects
Emily is a skilled communicator and marketer who has worked extensively at the intersection of public policy, public relations, and politics in Washington, D.C. She has experience navigating the most difficult media environments, driving strategic communication goals, leading crisis management at the local, state, and national levels while being a trusted advisor to multiple cabinet secretaries and directors.
Emily was named and currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the McCrary Institute at Auburn University. Additionally, Emily has received various awards at the highest levels from the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Director of National Intelligence.
Emily graduated from Clemson University with a Master of Arts in Communication Studies. She received her Master of Arts in Strategic Communication from American University.
Alex Menendez
Communications Coordinator
Alex Menendez
Communications Coordinator
Alex is a first-generation Cuban-American with strong roots across South Florida communities. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she thrives in crafting meaningful campaigns and content that reach diverse audiences. Alex supports the communications endeavors of the firm through crafting press releases, blog posts, and other communications needed in client campaigns. She also monitors client communication plans, reporting results and revising strategies where needed.
Alex graduated cum laude from University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in event management.
Monica Kopensky
Communications Coordinator
Monica Kopensky
Communications Coordinator
Monica is an enthusiastic and highly motivated professional with successful experience in grassroots marketing and event planning for corporate and foundation entities. A native Floridian, she believes in creating and maintaining lasting and productive relationships through personalized engagement and outreach.
Monica is a graduate from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Event Management.
John Brady
Communications Assistant
John Brady
Communications Assistant
John Brady is a Tampa native and Florida State University student pursuing a degree in political science on a pre-law track. John is a cum laude graduate of Lawton Chiles High School and an active member of the National Honors Society. John’s passion for the political process led him to join our team and gain experience developing strategic messaging and effecting change in public policy. In his spare time, John is an active athlete and enjoys playing golf and hockey.
Rebecca King
Director of Communications
Rebecca King
Director of Communications
Rebecca is passionate about business marketing and building stronger communities through grassroots outreach and public education. With a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Clemson University and a lifetime of experience from her family’s business, which develops and markets the superior turf products to Major League Baseball and some of the world’s greatest golf courses, Rebecca uses her knowledge and communications skills to create positive experiences that educate people and bring them together.
Amber Statler
Director of Media Relations
Amber Statler
Director of Media Relations
Amber Statler is an Emmy award-winning producer who has spent much of her career in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market. As an Executive Producer of Special Projects and Investigations in newsrooms in South Florida, Amber managed successful teams who went on to change local, state and national laws. Her investigative unit at CBS in Miami won the prestigious Green Eyeshade Award for Best Investigative Report in 2010 for a Medicare Fraud report produced in conjunction with 60 Minutes. Before joining McNicholas & Associates in June 2021, Amber was the Assistant News Director at the FOX station in Charlotte, NC.
Amber is a Florida native with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Barry University and has an M.B.A. in Marketing.
Ansley Seaton
Communications Coordinator
Ansley Seaton
Communications Coordinator
Ansley is a go-getting, ambitious communicator that tackles any project without hesitation and powers results through creativity and strategic messaging.
Growing up in Tallahassee, the heart of Florida’s legislative efforts, inspired Ansley to work in a fast-paced, results-driven agency. Ansley’s professional experience includes graphic design, social media marketing, strategic campaigns, and community outreach. Her bright attitude and versatile skill set allow her to thrive in a collaborative work environment and create lasting relationships.
Ansley is a graduate from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in international affairs.
Krissy Simoneau
Account Manger
Krissy Simoneau
Account Manger
Krissy has extensive experience in web design, marketing, and event coordinating. She has worked on events for Major League Baseball, the Governor’s Office and several Fortune 500 companies. Krissy’s attention to detail and proficient client relations result in absolute clarity throughout campaigns, from concept through execution, and streamlined communication between the various departments within McNicholas & Associates and the client teams.
Krissy holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Clemson University.
Larisa Yerastova
Creative Design
Larisa Yerastova
Creative Design
Larisa creates unique and compelling designs for every type of print and online application. From informational flyers to corporate white papers and financial performance reports, Larisa designs and delivers creative solutions that compel conversation and action.
Larisa is a Master of Fine Arts graduate from the Russian Art College and New York Technical College. She holds over 15 years of experience in concept development, design, art direction and production management.