OUR TEAM

Maria Cardona has more than two decades of experience in the community affairs, government, politics, and public relations arenas. Recognized among the most influential Latinos in the country, and as one of the most sought-after communications and media strategists, Maria Cardona is a Principal at the Dewey Square Group (DSG) and Founder of Latinovations, the Latino Strategies Practice of DSG. She is a seasoned Democratic Strategist and communications profession who currently serves as a CNN and CNN Español Political Commentator as well as the host of the MARIA! Show on El Rey Network. As the head of DSG’s Public Affairs Practice, she combines public policy, communications, coalition building, constituency outreach, government relations, traditional and new media at this premier national public affairs firm.

Prior to signing on exclusively with CNN, Maria was a frequent political commentator on MSNBC, Fox, Univision and Telemundo, appearing as a public policy expert and providing political analysis on all manner of national issues. During the 2008 Democratic primary election, Maria was senior adviser and spokesperson to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and served on the campaign’s Hispanic outreach team. During the 2008 general election, Maria was a key surrogate for the Obama for America campaign, a role she revisited in the 2012 presidential election.

Previously, Maria was a senior vice president for the New Democrat Network, and before that, the communications director for the Democratic National Committee. During the Clinton administration, Maria served as chief spokesperson at the Immigration and Naturalization Service at the U.S. Department of Justice after serving as Press Secretary for the Department of Commerce.

For most of her career, Maria has been an advocate for some of the biggest issues affecting the Latino community. Working hand-in-hand with some of the biggest Latino groups, she has been at the forefront advocating for issues like comprehensive immigration reform, voting rights protection, access to affordable healthcare, protecting the environment, closing the digital divide, equal pay for equal work, and closing the wage gap.

David Jolly served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 - 2017. A student of the institution, Jolly has held virtually every position in Congress, from intern to Member, and has worked outside the Congress as an attorney and political consultant, as well as in specialty finance. Jolly currently serves as a Political Analyst for the networks and media platforms of NBC Universal, and has emerged as a national leader in the democracy reform and multi-party space. Jolly also serves as Executive Vice President of Shumaker Advisors Florida.

Known for his fierce independent streak and bipartisan approach, Jolly was first elected in a nationally watched special election in Florida, a Republican winning a Democratic leaning district. It was his first run for elective office and became one of the most expensive Congressional races in U.S. history at the time. It made Jolly a passionate campaign finance reform advocate and his resulting legislative effort to prohibit Members of Congress from directly soliciting campaign contributions was ultimately featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes.

Jolly’s work has been published in Time, USA Today, Roll Call, the Washington Post, CNN.com, NBCNews.com, NewsMax, the Washington Times, and the Tampa Bay Times.

One Washington Post columnist penned, “Jolly speaks the truth.” The Tampa Bay Times, “It’s refreshing to hear someone take on the system.” And upon leaving Congress, one columnist wrote, “Farewell to the one Congressman willing to compromise.”

Jolly received his Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in 1994, and his Juris Doctor Cum Laude from George Mason University in 2001.

David is a Democratic activist and widely published author. In 2004, he founded Media Matters for America, the nation’s premiere progressive media watchdog group. Following the 2010 elections, he founded the Super PAC American Bridge, which conducts opposition research against Republican candidates running for office and ran an $80 million dollar media campaign in three swing states to elect President Biden. He serves as founder and chairman of both organizations. He is the New York Times best-selling author of the memoir Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, Huffington Post, Daily Beast, NBC Think, and Salon. POLITICO named him one of the “30 Most Powerful People in Trump’s DC.”