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Joe Garcia Joins Leading Global Strategy Firm Mercury

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Former Congressman to Expand Mercury’s Florida Presence as Co-Chairman

Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced today the addition of former U.S. Congressman Joe Garcia, who will expand their Miami team and capabilities both in Florida and across the firm’s national offices. Garcia, who served Florida’s 26th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, joins the team at Mercury as Co-Chairman, and will be based in the Miami office.
“We are excited to welcome Joe Garcia to the Mercury family. His extensive policy experience will be invaluable as we expand our footprint in Miami, and across the Sunshine State,” said Mercury Partner Ashley Walker.
“I am thrilled to join Mercury, known across the country for their exceptional work across the public affairs, policy and political arenas,” Garcia said. “I look forward to growing the Mercury brand in Miami, and bringing my expertise to help clients achieve success.”
During his time in Congress, Rep. Garcia served on the Committee on the Judiciary, including the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Border Security, and the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law. Garcia was also an integral member of the Committee on Natural Resources, including its Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources; Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs; and Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation.
Prior to his time on Capitol Hill, Garcia served in the executive branch. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed – and the United States Senate unanimously confirmed – Garcia to the Department of Energy as Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. Garcia is also former Chairman and member of the Florida Public Service Commission, where he served on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC,) and vice chair of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC.)
Throughout his career, Garcia held positions on a wide variety of state and federal projects, including: an advisor on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Joint Board; and advisor for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC.) Garcia also served as board member and Executive Director of the Cuban American National Foundation, an advocacy voice for human rights issues, and as Director of the Cuban Exodus Relief Fund, a refugee resettlement group organization.
Garcia is a member of the Florida Bar, and holds both his BA and JD from the University of Miami.
“We are pleased to welcome Congressman Garcia to the Mercury team. His extensive policy experience in the energy and utility sectors, as well as his deep relationships in Washington, will be a tremendous asset to our clients,” said Mercury Co-founder and CEO, Kieran Mahoney.
About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent — we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City.  Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.
About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, public health and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.

Mercury Welcomes Political Strategist Brian Swensen

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Leading GOP Adviser Joins Mercury Florida After Rubio Re-Election Victory

Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm announced today the addition of Republican political adviser Brian Swensen to its powerful public affairs team in Florida. Swensen comes to the firm following his role as Deputy Campaign Manager for the successful re-election of Senator Marco Rubio, the latest in a series of key political victories in Florida and Louisiana. 

As a Senior Vice President, Brian will leverage his extensive experience in the political arena to provide solutions and winning strategies for the firm’s clients. Brian will be based in Mercury’s Miami office. Mercury Florida, now in its fourth year of operation, is led by partner Ashley Walker. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Brian, who is one of the leading political operatives in the Southeast region,” said Walker. “Mercury continues to assemble the state’s most talented team of public affairs professionals, and the addition of Brian underscores our commitment to building Mercury into the strongest bipartisan consultancy in the nation.” 

“I am excited to work with the incredibly talented team of strategists at Mercury to help address some of the most pressing policy issues facing many organizations and corporations today,” Swensen said. “The Mercury Florida team brings together the state’s top political advisers across party lines.  Nowhere else can you find such deep, diverse skills and experience, and a winning track record to boot.  As someone who prides himself on having a great work ethic and outside the box thinking, I look forward to unleashing my unique skill set to shape strategy, solve problems, and create wins for our clients.”

Before joining Mercury, Brian served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator Marco Rubio’s re-election campaign.  In that role, Brian built a political operation that benefited numerous campaigns up and down the ballot, while training and empowering the next generation of political leaders. Previously, Brian managed the successful campaign of Jacksonville’s Mayor, Lenny Curry, which helped set the tone for Florida Republicans in the 2016 cycle. Additionally, he was a part of the Bill Cassidy for U.S. Senate Campaign, where he led the political and grassroots operation. Brian served as Political Director for the Republican Party of Florida, and was Victory Director for Governor Rick Scott’s winning campaign in 2010. Brian got his start in the political process at The Leadership Institute, a conservative non-profit based in Virginia, after graduating from Florida International University in Miami. 

Swensen began his tenure with Mercury on January 19, 2017.

About Mercury
Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent — we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City.  Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, public health and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.