GQRR - Key Persons
Al Quinlan is a Partner at GQR, delivering invaluable consulting and issue management to political campaigns, issue groups, and companies. He has extensive experience conducting strategic research focusing on many issues, including health care, education, energy and media consumption for both public and private sector organizations.
He provides research and advice to eight current Senators, including Senator Tina Smith, who won a special election in 2018. He currently works with Senators Maggie Hassan (NH), Jeanne Shaheen (NH) and Gary Peters (MI), who won heavily targeted races in 2016 and 2014. He also works with Senators Debbie Stabenow (MI), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Richard Blumenthal (CT) and Tom Udall (NM). His former Senate clients include Tim Johnson (SD), Chris Dodd (CT), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Joe Lieberman (CT).
This past cycle Quinlan provided the research and advice to four new members of Congress who won targeted races; Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), Elissa Slotkin (MI-8), Andy Kim (NJ-3) and Chris Pappas (NH-1). He also provides research for Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (MA-8) and Don Norcross (NJ-1).
Quinlan also advises and conducts research for party organizations and issue groups and worked as part of the research team to provide battleground polling and focus groups during the past cycle. He also works with End Citizens United, the DSCC and Senate Majority Pac.
He also has experience developing and executing campaign strategies for successful Governors and Mayors. He helped Governor Maggie Hassan (NH) win a tough primary and general election in 2012 and then win reelection in a very tough 2014 environment before moving onto the Senate. Quinlan advised Governors John Lynch (NH), Ed Rendell (PA) and Bill Richardson (NM) during their campaigns and time in office. He provides polling for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, and for former Mayors Anthony Williams (DC), Jim Hahn (LA), Richard Daley (Chicago) and RT Rybak (Minneapolis).
His nonprofit clients include many respected foundations such as the Joyce Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, the League of Conservation Voters, Third Way, Trust for America's Health and Humanity United.
Quinlan oversees issue research and strategy development for several large health care providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Cooper University Health Care. He has conducted consumer research for the Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly.com, Univision, ESPN, General Motors, among others.
He is the author of several commentaries, including "Prevention Now For a Healthier Future," and "Authenticity Matters Most." Quinlan has also authored the following reports: "New Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust For America's Health Poll on Childhood Obesity" and "American Public Supports Investment in Prevention As Part of Health Care Reform."
Quinlan received a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Pennsylvania State University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Massachusetts. In 2004, he was awarded Penn State Behrend's most prestigious award, the Alumni Fellow Award.
Al Quinlan is a Partner at GQR, delivering strategic consulting and issue management to political campaigns, issue groups, and companies. He has extensive experience conducting strategic research focusing on many issues, including health care, education, energy, and media consumption for both public and private sector organizations.
Alana Silbert serves as an Analyst at GQR, assisting in research and analysis for digital, domestic, and international projects in Washington, DC. She focuses on tech and platform issues, analyses of online disinformation, and assisting in progressive international campaign project work. Since joining the firm, she has worked with survey data benefiting Democratic political organizations, conducted research for projects in six different countries, and worked to counter disinformation online with numerous progressive advocacy organizations.
Prior to joining GQR in 2021 as an Intern, Alana worked on a local campaign in Virginia in 2017 and worked in the Virginia State Senate through the 2020 session of the General Assembly. She has a BA in Political Science with a focus in International Relations from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
Andrew Sciglibaglio is a Project Coordinator at GQR. In his role, he handles scheduling, client outreach and workflow assistance for partners Al Quinlan and Elizabeth Sena. He graduated from Binghamton University in 2022 with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Law with a focus on politics.
He recently worked on the campaigns for George Grasso for DA and Chris Bae for NY City Council in his home state of New York. Most recently he interned for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in DC. In his down time, he enjoys watching hockey and cooking Italian food.
Anna Greenberg, Ph.D. joined GQR in 2001 after teaching public opinion and survey research methodology at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
She was the lead pollster in many successful campaigns including for Senator Mark Kelly, Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor Tom Wolf, Governor Ned Lamont, Congresswoman Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, Congressman Don Davis, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Congressman Matt Cartwright and Mayor Kirk Watson. She worked with former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in her races for Congress and helped launch her organization to prevent gun violence.
In 2014, Greenberg won the "Pollster of the Year" award from the AAPC for her work with Mayor Bill de Blasio's campaign for mayor of New York City.
Since 2019, Greenberg has been on the board of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University and she served on the board of the American National Election Study (ANES) from 2014 to 2017.
Greenberg holds a BA in Government from Cornell University and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago.
Anna Greenberg, Ph.D. has over 20 years of experience polling in the political, non-profit and academic sectors. She joined GQR in 2001 after teaching public opinion and survey research methodology at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Job Titles:
- Director of Fielding Operations
Carly Guy is the Director of Fielding Operations at GQR. Prior to joining GQR she managed vendor relations in the real estate field for eight years, taught English in South Korea, and drafted and edited Minnesota legislative bills.
Carly holds a BA in English and Scientific & Technical Communications from the University of MN-Twin Cities. In her free time she enjoys attending concerts and playing roller derby.
Christopher Sebastian Parker (Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2001) serves as a Senior Advisor at GQR, and is the Stuart A. Scheingold Professor of Social Justice and Political Science in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. His research takes a behavioral approach to race and historical events. His first book, Fighting for Democracy: Black Veterans and the Struggle Against White Supremacy in the Postwar South (Princeton University Press, 2009), winner of the American Political Science Association's Ralph J. Bunche Award, takes a fresh approach to the civil rights movement by gauging the extent to which black veterans contributed to social change. A second book, Change They Can't Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America (Princeton University Press, 2013, with Matt Barreto), explores the beliefs, attitudes, and behavior of the Tea Party. This book won the American Political Science Association's award for the best book in Race, Ethnicity, and Politics. Another book (with Matt Barreto), also in progress, The Great White Hope: Donald Trump, Race, and the Crisis of American Democracy (University of Chicago Press, under contract), examines the causes, and political consequences of Trump's election.
His scholarly articles have appeared in the Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Perspectives on Politics, Annual Review of Political Science, Annual Review of Sociology, and the Du Bois Review. Parker's work has also appeared, or been featured in, the New York Times, 538.com, the Washington Post, CNN.com, the American Prospect, Talking Points Memo, The Brookings Institution, Salon.com, and The Conversation. He has also appeared on MSNBC and PBS.
Dr. Parker resides in Seattle, WA.
David Walker advises issue campaigns and domestic political campaigns for GQR and 2018 marked his 30th year as a public opinion researcher. Walker has helped elect some of the leading Democrats of our time, including Governor's Mark Dayton and Tom Wolf, Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Walker has also fought for equality issues with the Human Rights Campaign, helped lead the firm's efforts to modernize the nation's marijuana laws, advocated gun violence prevention with Giffords (formerly Americans for Responsible Solutions) and other state groups and leads the firm's work for the Small Business Majority. In 2018, Walker worked with the DCCC independent expenditure campaign to help win Democratic control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Walker began his career as a junior analyst at Cooper & Secrest Associates, a national political polling firm, and quickly worked up to the top staff position in that firm. Key wins include Governor of Nebraska Ben Nelson, 1990 gubernatorial challenger winner, Georgia's Zell Miller, open-seat gubernatorial winner in 1990, incumbent winner in 1994, Alabama's Don Siegelman, gubernatorial challenger winner, 1994, North Carolina's Mike Easley, gubernatorial open-seat winner, 2000 and Tom Suozzi, Nassau County Executive open-seat winner, 2001.
In 1998, he was named a Rising Political Star by Campaigns and Elections magazine and has been published in a variety of public opinion and trade journals, including Campaigns & Elections magazine, Polling Report and Bill Shipp's Georgia. David Walker also provided election night coverage for national cable station in 1994.
David Walker graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in history.
Elizabeth Sena has more than a decade of experience polling in the political, public affairs and strategic communications sector. As a partner, she provides research-backed strategic advice to political campaigns, companies, and public affair groups. Sena also heads the analytics practice and leads our work in Canada. As a leading expert in new methodologies, Sena pioneered large-scale online studies for progressive organizations and academic institutions. She has also pioneered the development of systems that seamlessly integrate multiple sources of campaign data. These systems enable clients to more easily analyze complex data sets and make informed data-driven decisions. In the public affairs sector, Sena uses research to provide data-driven insights to shape government policy.
Some of her clients include the AFL-CIO, SEIU, DCCC, candidates at all levels on the ballot, and progressive groups in Florida, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.
Sena has also worked on the ground for campaigns in Florida, and for the Richardson for President campaign in Iowa. She is an experienced focus group moderator, having led over a hundred discussions across North America.
Prior to joining GQR, Sena worked as a Senior Analyst at The Feldman Group, the Director of Client Services for YouGov/Polimetrix, and as a consultant for Pollara.
She holds an Honors B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, an M.A. in Political Science with a specialty in Political Campaigning from the University of Florida, and has completed her Ph.D. coursework from Carleton University in Ottawa. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida, where she co-teaches the Advanced Campaign Strategies course.
Elliot Storey is an Assistant Analyst at GQR. He most recently worked in political direct mail with The Pivot Group, and has worked in field and as a manager on campaigns at the local, state, and federal level across the country.
In his free time, he enjoys strength sports, crossword puzzles, and putting an eyebrow-raising amount of effort into ice cream recipes. He graduated with a degree in Political Science from Tufts University.
Emily Eberhart joined the GQR team early this year as an Intern, eager to explore the world of polling and market research. Now as a Project Associate, she is responsible for proofing documents and aiding in background research. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington in 2023 where she obtained a BA in Political Science & Law, Societies, and Justice with a minor in Gender, Women and Sexualities Studies. Prior to moving to Washington, DC she was heavily involved in grassroots advocacy and community organizing with Seattle nonprofit, Pro-Choice Washington. As an undergrad, she frequently assisted in lobbying for expanded access to comprehensive healthcare across Washington state.
In her free time, Emily enjoys reading books, exploring new cities with friends, and crocheting.
Jacob Garfinkel serves as an Administrative Assistant at GQR, primarily aiding in finance and operations, ensuring tasks are done expeditiously. Prior to joining GQR in 2023, Jacob interned for Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01), interned on several California House campaigns, and most recently was in charge of membership at the Association of Defense Communities.
Jacob graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Political Science specializing in American Politics. In his free time, he can be found playing bass and attending concerts.
Jared Richie is a Project Coordinator at GQR. In his role, he handles scheduling, client outreach and workflow assistance for Senior Partner Anna Greenberg. He graduated from Vassar College in 2023 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Religion.
He recently worked for Dutchess County Legislator Barrington Atkins, conducting research on access to mental health care in the local community. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, having picnics with friends, and going to Washington Capitals games.
Jason Gaaserud is an Assistant Analyst at GQR, helping manage projects and ensuring clients receive materials that clearly lay out data and strategic recommendations. Prior to working at GQR, he interned on several campaigns in his home state of Connecticut, including Congressman Jim Himes' (CT-04) successful reelection campaign in 2020.
Jason graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A in Political Science and a minor in Statistics. In his free time, he can be found running or watching College Football and Premier League Soccer.
Jess Margulies is a Project Associate at GQR, where she aids the team in conducting background research, proofing documents, and organizing data. Prior to joining GQR, she gained valuable experience in politics interning at Senator Feinstein's office in LA.
Jess graduated from UCLA with a degree in Global Studies but is excited to be back on the East Coast closer to home in Philly. In her free time, Jess can be found cooking elaborate meals and working on crochet projects.
John Barry is a Senior Associate at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, where he conducts research for political candidates and advocacy organizations. He joined GQR as a data programmer before transitioning to his current role. Prior to joining GQR, John worked as a staffer on Democratic campaigns in Florida and Virginia.
John graduated cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a double major in Global Politics and European History and a minor in Computer Science. While in college, he played on the football team and served as a state chair for the school's quadrennial Mock Convention.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
- Finance
Kelly Nash is the Director of Human Resources and Finance at GQR. She is known for her ability to be a direct and dynamic leader, who anticipates what is needed to achieve organizational success and growth. Kelly graduated from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida with a degree in Business Administration. Before joining the GQR team, she had years of experience in the world of law firm management.
In her spare time, you can find Kelly traveling, studying history and genealogy, enjoying music that was released far before she was born, and spending time with her loved ones- especially her three amazing children!
Lauren Dillon has a track record of providing strategic advice to clients that helps them win. She played a key role in helping Senator Amy Klobuchar emerge as a top-tier presidential candidate as the Senator's Iowa State Director and National States Director. Working as the Iowa State Director for the Biden/Harris presidential campaign, Lauren embraced campaigning during a pandemic by creating innovative approaches to voter outreach and earned media.
In 2018, Lauren served as Deputy Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Independent Expenditure. Prior to that, Lauren spent ten years at the Democratic National Committee where she provided her political expertise and counsel to state parties as well as national and local campaigns. As DNC Research Director, Lauren and her team also assisted numerous successful statewide campaigns with indispensable political insights including Doug Jones for Senate (2017), Ralph Northam for Governor (2017), John Bel Edwards for Governor (2016), and Ed Markey for Senate (2013), among others. Lauren is an alum of President Obama's 2012 campaign and Secretary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
Most recently, Lauren served as Senator Klobuchar's Deputy Chief of Staff where she oversaw operations and coordinated both in-state and legislative staff on initiatives such as Congressionally Directed Spending prioritization, constituent service, and helping local businesses navigate the federal government.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Data Analyst
Lester Polchlopek's political experience reaches back more than 30 years. He worked on the staffs of Congressman Peter Hoagland of Nebraska and Senator Max Baucus of Montana. He has also worked for political consulting companies targeting direct mail, and as a Programmer for the public opinion research company Lake Research Partners. Lester came to Greenberg Quinlan Rosner from Lockheed Martin.
He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
Job Titles:
- Senior Partner
- Strategist
Veteran political strategist Lindsey Reynolds is known in political circles for her shrewd judgment and ability to get things done. She leads GQR's political consulting practice. Prior to being named Senior Partner, Reynolds joined GQR as Chief Operating & Financial Officer in 2017, bringing 20 years of political and campaign management experience at the national, state, and local level.
Reynolds served as the Executive Director of the Virginia State Democratic Party. While there, she oversaw the development of one of the largest centralized voter file systems in the country, increased participation, increased revenue and developed one of the largest state party candidate and party ID collections in the U.S.
McKenzie Wilson is a Project Coordinator at GQR. In her role, she handles project management, scheduling, and administrative and operational support under Senior Partner Lindsey Reynolds.
McKenzie graduated from Texas Christian University in 2019 with a B.S. in Political Science with a focus on women in politics. She recently worked for Congressman Mark DeSaulnier as a Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent in his Washington, D.C. office.
In her free time, McKenzie enjoys cooking for her friends and biking around different parts of DC.
Melissa Mukuna is a Project Associate at GQR, where she assists the team with research, proofing, and data management tasks. Melissa graduated Summa Cum Laude from William & Mary in 2023 with a BA in Government. Prior to joining GQR, she interned at OpenSecrets, a research group tracking campaign finance and the impact of lobbying in federal and state politics, and the Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit dedicated to research and reporting on capital punishment in the US and its inherent injustices. During undergrad, Melissa conducted research with William & Mary's Institute of Integrative Conservation and Global Research Institute.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, attending concerts and traveling.
Natalie Jackson, PhD, is Vice President at GQR. She has spent nearly two decades developing extensive expertise in survey research, methodology, and political polling. Her research on how people form opinions, as well as on the election polling and forecasting landscape has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, and she has a weekly column on data politics called Leading Indicators at National Journal.
Prior to joining GQR, she was Director of Research at PRRI and Managing Director of Polling at Just Capital. Earlier in her career, she held senior and management positions at the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and The Huffington Post. She is an active member for the American Association for Public Opinion Research, serves on the council for the National Capitol Area Political Science Association, and co-chairs the Careers Diversity Committee for the American Political Science Association. She is on the editorial boards of Social Science Quarterly and PS: Political Science and Politics.
Natalie received her PhD in political science from the University of Oklahoma and was a postdoctoral associate at the Duke University Initiative on Survey Methodology. Her BA in political science and history is from West Texas A&M University. She enjoys life in Washington, DC with her cats, but you might also find her hiking in Alaska or the Hudson Valley of New York.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Data Analyst
Paul Sevigny has been working with survey data at GQR for most of this century, since early 2001. He has handled survey projects from over 60 countries, and for candidates running for just about every elected office across the country. Before joining GQR, he was employed by political campaigns throughout Michigan, the Democratic National Committee, and an assortment of Democratic National Conventions.
Paul holds a B.A. in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife Shavonne, Maya the dog, Rosalynn Carter Cat and usually an adoptable foster dog.
Rick Wytmar is an Assistant Analyst at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, where he conducts research on behalf of political candidates and advocacy organizations. Prior to joining GQR, Rick worked at Tulchin Research as an Assistant Analyst where he worked on numerous political campaigns at the national, state, and local levels as well as a host of advocacy organizations, labor unions and ballot initiative campaigns.
Rick graduated from Gonzaga University with a double major in Political Science and Economics and a minor in Leadership studies. He is currently finishing a Masters in Survey Research from the University of Connecticut. He grew up in California's Bay Area and can be found on the weekends playing pickleball, watching football and basketball or beating his friends at a board game.
Sarah Wydra is a Project Associate at GQR, assisting with research, data organization and other project components. Prior to working at GQR, Sarah worked as an intern and Special Assistant for Constituent Services for U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire with a dual B.A. in Political Science and Justice Studies and minors in Middle Eastern Studies and Security Studies. In 2022, Sarah graduated from the University of Amsterdam with an M.Sc. in Political Science, specializing in International Relations. In her free time, Sarah enjoys traveling, swimming, and spending time with her family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Data and Analytics
Thomas Esty is the Senior Director of Data and Analytics at GQR, working with the project teams to ensure high quality surveys. Prior to joining GQR, he worked on the analytics team of Hillary for America in Brooklyn and as a developer and data analyst at the Atlas Project in Washington, DC.
Thomas graduated from Harvard with a degree in Astrophysics and a minor in Computer Science. While in school, he worked with the Harvard Political Opinion Project to survey youth political opinion across the country. He has been working on political campaigns since he started passing out leaflets for local candidates at the age of three.
Will McCleery joined GQR as an Intern in February 2024 and brings a passion for polling, data, and anything politics. He graduated in 2023 with a degree in Government at William & Mary, where he was active in numerous political groups. Will has experience with campaign work, including directing research efforts for a group working with Beto O'Rourke's 2022 Gubernatorial campaign with a focus on younger voters. He also phonebanked for President Biden and worked on a State House race in his home state of Connecticut.
In his free time, Will enjoys swimming, hiking, reading, watching Indianapolis Colts football, and (being a New Havener) eating good pizza.