WHO WE ARE
Founded by nationally-recognized strategist Jill Alper, we are a full-service innovative strategic planning, media, and public affairs firm that designs solutions as unique as the challenges facing your campaign, non-profit, or business.
JILL ALPER
FOUNDER
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When the stakes are high and there’s a tough problem to solve, leaders of all kinds turn to Jill and her colleagues for strategies and creativity that produce results.
A nationally recognized strategist with a winning record at the highest levels of politics and advocacy, Jill specializes in orchestrating historic results. She creates strategies and spot-on media to sway decision-making audiences. As an award-winning consultant for best in class strategy and media advertising, Jill curates unique expert teams and strategies to meet your challenge. Her motto, “We’re different, just like you.”
Her novel approaches to public and government affairs work - and leadership training - has made a difference for citizens, elected and community leaders alike.
Formerly the Political Director and Coordinated Campaign Director of the Democratic National Committee, Jill has worked with campaigns in all 50 states and is a veteran of eight presidential races - providing her with a unique perspective on the contours of our country and significant reach.
Though she continues to support leaders throughout the U.S., Jill is based in suburban Detroit, where she’s worked on winning campaigns in Michigan for over 35 years, serving as a Senior Strategist for leaders like Mayor Dave Bing, Governor Jennifer Granholm and the former Senator Carl Levin - and numerous presidential campaigns; for independent issue committees supporting candidates like Mayor Mike Duggan; and, on ballot initiatives to legalize stem cell research, to save the Detroit Institute of Arts, and to end gerrymandering.
Jill served as General Strategist and Media Consultant for Reproductive Freedom For All, a coalition that created and campaigned for Proposal 3, a constitutional amendment that ended Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban and firmly restored reproductive rights to millions of Michiganders. The non-partisan Proposal 3 received more votes than the statewide candidates, and swept Democrats into the majority of both legislative chambers for the first time in 40 years. She played the same role for Proposal 2, in 2018, a campaign to end gerrymandering led by Voters Not Politicians.
The American Association of Political Consultants honored her work for Governor Jennifer Granholm as “Campaign Manager of the Year,” a recognition often given to presidential campaign managers and seldom given to women.
She graduated from Boston College with a BA in Political Science/Philosophy. Occasionally you will find her teaching a campaigns or ballot initiatives class at Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, or in the stands at her son’s athletic games, cheering and kibutzing about her beloved bulldog, Hazen.
OUR TEAM
AUDREY CLAYTON
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
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Bringing political savviness and the ability to move with speed for candidates and causes without missing a beat.
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Audrey joined ASM in early 2024, bringing her enthusiasm and expertise to impact campaigns across Michigan at the state and federal level. Her experience includes plan development, campaign organization, integrated voter contact and media execution for candidates, non-profit and issue advocacy efforts.
Audrey started in politics in high school as an intern on Congresswoman Hillary Scholten’s campaign, later helping as a staff member to elect the first woman in history to represent West Michigan. At the University of Michigan, she chairs and leads project management and external outreach for Michigan Political Consulting, a student-run, pro-bono consulting organization serving a variety of campaign, non-profit, and PAC clients.
Audrey served as co-president of Students for Harris-Walz at Michigan during the 2024 election cycle. In this role, she led an extensive student voter registration and GOTV operation that corresponded with a 63% increase in on-campus voter registration over 2022’s results. She was a member of Vice-President Harris’ motorcade team and organized Governor Walz’s student-focused visit to Michigan and campus. Understanding it's important to hear from voters directly, she expanded her work beyond campus to participate in on-the-door activities in contested state house districts.
Originally from Grand Rapids, Audrey is currently earning a degree in public policy at the University of Michigan with a concentration in the political processes of policymaking, along with a triple-minor in Spanish, political science, and quantitative methods in the social sciences. Outside of her work in the public arena, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her friends, family, and cat, Dustin.
ANGELA SHIUE
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
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Managing people, time and money are at the center of dynamic work plans, often governed by complicated timelines, budgets and contracts, which we honor to a T.
Angela oversees firm administration by creating agreements that include large-scale budgets, timelines and contracts for client projects, with precision. She is responsible for the firm’s financial operations and human resources so the team can focus on our client’s content and engagement needs.
Angela has extensive experience curating events of all kinds and sizes, including virtual engagements and fundraisers for constituents with prominent Michigan leaders and in-depth conferences for executives.
She graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Political Science and currently resides in Boston, MA with her fiance.
We’re dedicated to protecting democracy, advancing women’s leadership, and connecting innovative problem-solvers to government leaders and partner with clients who seek to
strengthen communities across the nation.
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Just like you.
OUR COLLABORATORS
ALLISON BAKER is an award-winning director and producer who’s been on location overseeing and directing production crews all over North America for over 20 years. She thrives on being involved in every step of the process, from initial concept to scripting to directing, editing and final delivery.
Allison’s film production career began over two decades ago, when she worked in various capacities on seven of Director Robert Rodriguez’ feature films. She then
utilized her feature filmmaking experience to produce hundreds of broadcast television and radio spots with Joe Slade White. Campaigns including Democratic candidates, initiatives, and corporations, such as AT&T, The Pickens Plan, and the Michigan Democratic Party, as well as multiple Senate, Congressional, Gubernatorial races. It was during this time she first met Jill. Allison and Jill have since collaborated on multiple winning campaigns, including Governor Jennifer Granholm, CURE Michigan, Mayor Dave Bing and Reproductive Freedom For All, just to name a few.
Allison also spearheaded creative content initiatives for IDW Entertainment, creating social marketing and bonus material content for IDWE’s stable of shows, most notably Wynonna Earp (SYFY) where she received eight Telly Awards for the branded content she created, produced and directed.​
MILES BAKER is a campaign strategist with over 12 years of experience in candidate campaigns, ballot campaigns, labor unions, and advocacy organizations. Previously, he served in the campaigns department of the National AFL-CIO and has led voter turnout programs across the country.
He is our targeting, list and voter contact expert. He has relationships on the ground across several states and taps them for strategy, field and recruitment efforts.
CELIA FISCHER brings extensive experience developing integrated strategic communications programs, campaigns, advertising, and messaging for political, non-profit, and corporate organizations to her strategic partnership with Alper Strategies. A member of the independent caucus of the Writers Guild of America/West, Celia holds a Master's Degree from the UCLA School of Film & Television and won first place in the prestigious Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards. Whether writing and producing commercials for independent expenditure groups, executing micro-budget programs for small nonprofits, or overseeing a national trade association’s complex $40 million annual advertising campaign, she balances a disciplined approach to strategy and message with her passion and respect for the creative process.
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Her reputation as an imaginative thinker and skilled strategist was earned after working on four Presidential races, directing ballot initiatives, and leading campaigns for Governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, and other offices.
MATT FRIEDMAN is a trusted and recognized non-partisan issue, business and non-profit communications strategist, helping to guide organizations of all sizes through times of change, providing counsel to governance boards, legal advisers and senior executives. His specialized experience includes working with virtually all facets of health care communications, handling litigation communications for high-profile legal matters, leading media relations operations for large business and policy events and a statewide voter information campaign.
Matt is also an experienced media trainer, combining his news and PR experience to create customized training sessions for clients nationwide to learn how to tell their stories and deliver their messages through interviews with journalists.
MINYON MOORE is considered one of the nation’s top strategic thinkers with extensive experience in political and corporate affairs, as well as public policy.
She leads Dewey Square Group’s State and Local Affairs and Multicultural Strategies practices with clients ranging from the Fortune 100 to startup nonprofits seeking counsel for developing strategies that address emerging consumer markets and achieve public policy goals. Minyon specializes in building coalitions and brand awareness strategies for corporations while at the same time effectively addressing their state and local public policy issues.
Under President Bill Clinton’s administration, Minyon served as Assistant to the President and Director of White House Political Affairs. As the CEO of the Democratic National Committee, Minyon was responsible for day-to-day operations and oversight of the Democratic Party. In 2018, Minyon served was awarded the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the AAPC Hall of Fame.
AMELIA QUILON is a communications professional with expertise in digital strategy, fundraising, and design. As a former engineer, she specializes in developing data-driven strategies to help clients make smart, creative decisions from optimizing messaging and creative to designing unique, targeted campaign content.
Amelia is a self-taught graphic and website designer with a passion for engaging voters and activists in causes that matter. She founded and co-led Voters Not Politicians, a citizen movement in Michigan that passed a constitutional amendment to end gerrymandering and institute an independent citizens redistricting commission.
SAGE MEDIA brings a breadth of campaign experience coupled with extensive knowledge of the modern media landscape. Janet Katowitz, Bobby Mushroe and their team are the most innovative in developing new and effective ways to reach voters in our increasingly complex daily lives. Clients receive unrivaled attention to detail and transparency of information, including access to industry-defining competitive trackers who flag and analyze opponent or allied spending in real-time.
Sage believes in winning multi-platform campaigns, which means getting your message to the right targets at the right time for the best value. Whether you want a linear, digital, or a completely out-of-the-box campaign, the Sage Media team will guide you to the most effective plan possible.
KARLA SWIFT is a strategic organizer who understands how to move people, build power and make change. She brings experience from political, workplace and contract campaigns, including helping win candidate elections and ballot initiative campaigns; helping change anti-worker legislation and helping workers win collective bargaining rights.
Karla spent 30 years fighting for fairness and justice alongside UAW members. As immediate past President of the Michigan AFLCIO, Swift led the statewide federation of 59 affiliated labor unions in building unified, coordinated and strategic political organizing campaigns/programs to protect and advocate for the welfare and security of working families.
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She is passionate about serving the movement of everyday people and prioritizes working on projects aimed at strengthening the instruments of power for everyday people and tilting the scales toward justice and equality. In her spare time she loves hiking, swimming, yoga and most of all, spending time with her new grandson.
BUZZ THOMAS is a public affairs professional and media consultant with over 25 years of experience. Buzz spent 14 years in the Michigan legislature serving as Democratic Floor Leader in the Senate and as Democratic Leader in the House and as the Senate Campaign Committee Chair.
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He has overseen multiple multi-million dollar super pacs, candidate committees and voter education campaigns, including the 2008 Michigan Presidential campaign of Barack Obama and Turnaround Detroit, the Super PAC credited with electing Detroit’s mayor, Mike Duggan.
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While serving, his expertise in the areas of healthcare, education reform, business development incentives and arts and culture, a personal passion led to the creation of rigorous academic standards for Michigan schools and creation of tax incentive laws that helped spur development in Detroit.