FEROX - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• PRINCIPAL

A fierce believer in Thomas Edison's, "Everything comes to h[er] who hustles while [she] waits," Cristina Antelo is a founding principal at Ferox Strategies. Cristina has spent more than a decade representing multinational corporations with her trademark hustle at Washington's best-known government relations firms. From Wall Street to K Street, Cristina has set herself apart as a trusted advisor, skilled advocate, and effective negotiator who isn't afraid of long, hard work. She began her lobbying career in 2004, immediately representing Fortune 500 clients at top-ranked, bipartisan government and public affairs firms in Washington, D.C. Her past clients include major chain retailers, spirits companies, national theme and amusement parks, pharmaceutical firms, and nutrition and wellness companies. Her policy areas of expertise include financial services, tax, trade, border security, transportation and infrastructure, and crisis management. Featured in Washingtonian magazine in "Success Stories of Washingtonians of Latino and Hispanic Descent" and identified as a "Top Lawyer," "Power Player," and "Most Influential 40 and Under Leader" in other regional publications, Cristina provides insider advice on how public policy is created and communicated. As a founding member and former President of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association and a long stint as the interim CEO of the non-profit Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), Cristina has served as both a leader and an advocate, promoting communication, ethics, education, and bipartisanship. Before transitioning to government relations, in the early 2000s Cristina worked as a Wall Street investment banker and wealth management advisor at major Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. She also served as a legal fellow with the Senate Democratic Steering Committee, then chaired by former Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Tom Daschle (D-SD). Today, Cristina is active in charitable work, contributing her business acumen, political savvy, and trademark hustle on the Board of Directors of the CHCI, serving under Chairman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), as well as the board of the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Action Fund supporting conservation of endangered species and habitats. Cristina further serves on the finance committee for the March of Dimes' annual Gourmet Gala, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars boosting maternal and infant health worldwide. Finally, Cristina is also on the Board of Directors for her alma mater, the Brooks School in North Andover, MA, and volunteers with Common Threads, focusing on nutrition education for children. A native Spanish speaker, Cristina was born in Dallas and graduated from Georgetown University and the George Washington University Law School. She is married with two young daughters, Havana and Brooklyn, who are fiercely loyal to any client that provides toys…or snacks…or anything with glitter.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• PRINCIPAL

An innovative, pragmatic, and big-picture thinker, Debra can quickly identify critical tasks as well as longer-term strategies. She is a results-oriented professional with private, public, and nonprofit experience, who is at her best when working with a talented, bipartisan team on a shared mission. As former Chief of Staff to then Rep. Xavier Becerra, Debra's more than a decade and a half of work on Capitol Hill included supporting the Congressman's efforts on the Ways and Means Committee, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House Democratic Leadership and the California Delegation. Debra also learned the ins and outs of the nonprofit world at the National Immigration Forum where she advocated for immigration reform, workforce needs, and a path to citizenship. An attorney by trade, Debra bookended her time on Capitol Hill with stints at two federal agencies, serving as Immigration Counsel at the Department of Justice and subsequently as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Education's Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. Debra has represented clients in the healthcare, tech and B2B manufacturing industries. She is an expert at translating legislative and regulatory developments into layperson's terms on issues such as international trade, immigration, healthcare, supply chain, and tax. In addition to the hard work and hustle for Ferox clients that she thrives on, Debra serves on the board of the Women's Congressional Staff Foundation whose mission is to increase the number, rank and leadership skills of women working for the U.S. Congress. Debra is proud to have received the CHCI Alumni Association Award in 2014 for her commitment to promoting diversity on Capitol Hill and looks for opportunities every day to advance diversity and embrace collaboration across parties and ideologies. The daughter of an immigrant, Debra's father was born in Panama, her mother in the Midwest and they met and married in Ecuador. Wanting their children to receive the best education in the world, they moved to the US, and Debra grew up in Ohio. She has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, a law degree from Ohio State, and an LLM with an emphasis on International Trade from Georgetown University Law Center. Debra and her husband live in DC with their two teenage daughters.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• POLICY ANALYST

Hila Eitam serves as a Policy Analyst at Ferox Strategies, tracking legislation, researching federal funding opportunities, and summarizing policy on behalf of the firm's clients. Hila offers valuable analytical and writing skills from her focus in environmental policy at Miami University. She worked with the Miami University Institute for Food Farm on a habitat diversification project, leveraging her background in biological sciences to research the ecological benefits of the project, ensure the project aligned with EPA wetland guidelines, and explore federal funding opportunities for the university. Hila additionally researched sustainable fisheries in South America and served on Miami University's Climate Action Task Force. As a long-standing member of the Task Force, Hila involved the student body in the university's goal towards carbon neutrality. While in Oxford, Ohio, Hila worked with the Assistant City Manager to evaluate the effectiveness and accessibility of the city's Sidewalk Audit Program. She optimized the program to better meet the city's goals by researching similar challenges in comparable cities and digitizing the program using geographic information system software. With her understanding of community engagement in Oxford and experience with major event planning through the university, she created a marketing strategy to promote the program and facilitate community relations between Miami University students and Oxford residents. In addition to her leadership at Miami University, she served for two years as a programming and engagement intern for the nonprofit Hillel at Miami University. There, she developed programming, organized funding, and gained an understanding of community engagement and development on behalf of the nonprofit organization. Hila earned her bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Biology, and Sustainability, as well as a Certificate in Global Readiness, from Miami University of Ohio. Last year, as part of Miami University's Inside Washington program, Hila spent a semester in Washington D.C. and interned at Ferox Strategies. In her free time, Hila enjoys reading, shopping at local farmers markets, and trying out new baking recipes.

Job Titles:

• MANAGER
• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• POLICY ANALYST
• Government Affairs Manager

Lauren Doepke serves as the Government Affairs Manager at Ferox Strategies where she supports Ferox's clients and executives through research and analysis, as well as co-managing our marketing and various social media platforms. An environmental scientist by training, Lauren is well-versed in the technical fields of science and policy. Her passion exists at the nexus of the two where she has honed analytical written, spoken, and presentational communication abilities through her work in nonprofit, higher education, and now corporate spaces. Lauren continues to expand her knowledge base through interactive, experiential pursuits, most recently as a 2023 Climatebase Fellow. Although Lauren hails from a science background, her experience leaves her equally as adept in the political sphere, including work in strategy and policy development, grassroots organizing, and communications. Previously, she served as an educator for The STEM Lab before earning an internship as an Environmental Justice Intern with the Mill Creek Alliance, a program funded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Here, she organized environmental justice communities along Mill Creek around education and local action campaigns to remediate the watershed, while engaging these communities in citizen science projects. Through this role, she also presented data collected throughout the year to the Spring Grove Village Community Council in the 2020 State of the Mill Creek Address. After this internship, Lauren was selected for Miami University's Inside Washington Program, where she first assisted Miami University with its Federal lobbying goals surrounding sustainability before completing an internship at Ferox Strategies. Lauren returned to the technical sphere as a Sustainability Coordinator for Miami University, where she collected data for the institution's sustainability report, specifically focusing on developments in the University's policy and advocacy space for the 2022 AASHE STARS Report. Through this role, she gained membership to several administrative-level committees focused on problem-solving the University's path to carbon neutrality, maintaining the Institute for Food Farm (a regenerative agriculture demonstration farm) as an educational tool, and advising the Student Sustainability Council, a coalition of campus organization presidents working to increase campus sustainability projects and programming. A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Lauren graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability. She is currently completing her Master of Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Resources Management. As a student, Lauren conducted research on micro- and nanoscale industrial contaminants in consumer goods, the development of a makeup spectrometry database to better identify evidence in human trafficking cases, green revolving fund models to finance large energy efficiency projects, and best practice carbon offset projects to attain carbon neutrality. In her free time, Lauren is building a company, Urban Detour, with the goal of increasing urban communities' access to outdoor recreation and the environment. She loves kayaking, hiking, skiing, and organizing adventures for her friends.

Job Titles:

• MANAGER
• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• Government Affairs Manager

Marisa L. Sanchez serves as the Government Affairs Manager at Ferox Strategies where she supports Ferox's clients and executives through research and analysis, as well as co-managing our marketing and various social media platforms. Marisa, who holds a summa cum laude bachelor's degree in International Studies with a concentration in Global Markets and Governance from the University of New Mexico, focused her research in trade, labor, and international economics. In addition, she has a diverse background in research and media management that she gained throughout her time in her district Congressional office and Capitol Hill. Marisa worked in Congresswoman Deb Haaland's (D-NM) Albuquerque office where she was Staff Assistant and Intern Coordinator. She led multiple congressional projects while also delegating and addressing constituent concerns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marisa gained significant experience in her district while being exposed to issue areas including immigration, labor, diversity, and local economics. Shortly after working heavily in constituent services and federal resources, Marisa participated in the Fall 2020 Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute's (CHLI) Global Leaders Program, a competitive semester-long program featuring placement in a Congressional and private office. She was the second fellow to ever be selected from New Mexico. As part of CHLI, Marisa was placed with Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL), where she was the first fully remote fellow to work full time completing daily COVID-19 reports, monthly economic reports, and various projects related to education, voting records, and grants. In her free time, Marisa enjoys participating in the Washington, D.C. League of United Latin American Citizens council, printmaking and handwriting letters, attending movie nights with friends, and riding her bike.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• PRINCIPAL
• Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee

For nearly two decades, Mark has been a seasoned, dynamic, and high-energy congressional Chief of Staff excelling at the intersection of politics, policy, and personalities. He is well-connected and respected across the House and Senate. A charismatic and collaborative team leader, Mark is skilled in coalition building, campaign management, and media strategy. He has also played a significant role in 11 winning House races. As top aide to Congressman Mike Conaway of Texas, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Mark helped usher passage of the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. Mark also supported Rep. Conaway when he was handpicked by the GOP Conference to lead the high-profile Intelligence Committee investigation into Russia's influence in the 2016 presidential election. Previously, Mark ran point on policy as Legislative Director for former Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, a senior member of the Ways & Means Committee, and served as Chief of Staff for former Congressman Todd Rokita of Indiana. Mark also has significant experience working with the Armed Services, Transportation & Infrastructure, Budget, and Education & Workforce Committees under Reps. Conaway, Johnson, and Rokita. In his spare time, Mark has successfully completed three Ironman triathlons and raised over $40k for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in conjunction with each race. He's also involved with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and serves as the Head Coach of his son's youth soccer team. Additionally, he remains a long- standing steering committee member for the Hispanic Republicans of Texas.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• POLICY ANALYST

Maya El Jawhari serves as a Policy Analyst at Ferox Strategies, tracking legislation, researching federal funding opportunities, and summarizing policy on behalf of the firm's clients. Maya offers valuable analytical and writing skills from her experience as a State Fiscal Policy Research Intern at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where she published numerous blogs and reports on how states can economically recover using Fiscal Responsibility funds. Additionally, Maya interned for the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) under Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA) where she co-authored and published an issue brief on the economic costs of the 2020 opioid epidemic that was cited by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Washington Post, Reuters, Politico, and other national news sites. While at the JEC, she also drafted two reports on the economic equity of Hispanic Americans and assisted the JEC financial director in the logistics and set-up of congressional hearings. Maya, a Riverside, California native and first-generation Arab American, completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Affairs from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2021. During her time at UCLA, Maya interned for Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) where she helped draft memoranda, read constituent letters, and fielded constituent calls. In her role as a Public Affairs Intern at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, she actively led phone banks, organized canvassing events, and successfully recruited volunteers to support sexual and reproductive health policies. During her time at Planned Parenthood, she also played a pivotal role in coordinating projects for electoral and policy campaigns, both within Los Angeles County and throughout the state of California. In her free time, Maya loves to discover new areas of D.C. and spend time with friends, as well as café-hopping, reading, and watching movies.

Job Titles:

• DIRECTOR
• Government Affairs Director
• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team

Michael Taggart serves as Government Affairs Director at Ferox Strategies, leading efforts on several of the firm's clients, including those in the Energy, Healthcare, Telecommunications, and Retail spaces. Michael brings over a decade of experience serving as a senior policy staffer to multiple House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Republicans and, most recently, on the Committee itself as Policy Director under Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). During his time on Capitol Hill he has successfully navigated numerous challenging policy debates, with a focus on telecommunications, technology, energy, environment, commerce, and healthcare policies. As the top policy staffer for E&C Republicans over the past three years, Michael successfully led a team of more than thirty professional staffers in developing and executing the Chair's agenda for one of the most important committees in Congress. He was responsible for working with Committee Members, House Leadership, other Committees and Caucuses, the Senate, and a variety of outside stakeholders to shepherd all major and minor legislation through E&C. Before joining the Committee, Michael served as Legislative Director to Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) where he was responsible for their work on E&C, with a primary focus on their respective roles as Ranking Member of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee and Vice Chair of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee. Michael graduated from Colgate University with a BA in Political Science. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife Emily and son Henry and is an avid golfer.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• Retired Air Force Officer
• STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Santiago ‘Rico' Vaca serves as a Strategic Advisor at Ferox Strategies where he works on appropriations, defense matters and budgets, and national security concerns.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Ferox Strategies Team
• Policy Analyst
• Healthcare Policy Analyst

Sequoia Ragland serves as a Healthcare Policy Analyst at Ferox Strategies where she conducts research, tracks legislation, and summarizes policy on behalf of the firm's clients with a focus in health care.