Raben Supercharges Government Affairs and Strategic Communications Practices with Star Hires
Jheanelle Wilkins joins Raben as principal, and new partnerships with Erica Loewe, Leticia Mederos, and Jamal Simmons add experience and significant capacity to the firm's Strategic Communications and Government Affairs Practice Areas
WASHINGTON, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Raben, a leading national public affairs firm that exists to shift power and change systems, announced today that Jheanelle Wilkins will join as a principal in the Government Affairs Practice Area to help expand federal and state offerings. Raben also announced new partnerships with Erica Loewe (Biden-Harris alum), Leticia "Letty" Mederos (appropriations advisor), and Jamal Simmons (CNN commentator and former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris), who will serve as senior advisors. With these hires, Raben — the largest majority-minority public affairs firm — strengthens its commitment to amplifying voices and advancing inclusivity for clients and communities.
"At Raben, we are deeply honored to work with trailblazing individuals whose vision, talent, and passion for strategy and equity propel our mission forward. Jheanelle Wilkins, Erica Loewe, Letty Mederos, and Jamal Simmons have distinguished themselves as champions for fairness and opportunity," said firm President and Founder Robert Raben. "As our clients pursue bold ambitions for 2026 and beyond, we are excited to welcome Jheanelle as a principal and expand our collaboration with Erica and Letty — and welcome back Jamal — as senior advisors to help turn those visions into reality."
Jheanelle Wilkins is a policy and government affairs leader with deep expertise in advocacy, public policy, and social impact strategy. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she is dedicated to expanding opportunity and community strength through equity-driven policy. Before joining Raben, she spent 16 years at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, leading the state and local government affairs portfolio and advancing voting rights, justice reform, educational equity, immigrant rights, and democracy. Jheanelle serves in the Maryland General Assembly, representing District 20 in the House of Delegates and chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, overseeing revenues, education policy, child care, and gaming.
Erica Loewe will advise Raben and its clients, focusing on Black media outreach. She is a communications strategist and political commentator with over a decade of experience in media, politics, and entertainment. Erica was recently a special assistant to the president and chief of staff in the White House Office of Public Engagement, and previously director of African American media for President Biden and Vice President Harris. She has also served as deputy communications director to House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and advised Chairwoman Maxine Waters. Recognized by The Root 100, Essence, ColorComm, and others, Erica was featured in the Emmy-winning documentary "The Sixth" and honored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Leticia "Letty" Mederos is a leading advisor on the annual appropriations process, with nearly 15 years of service to Representative Rosa DeLauro on the House Appropriations Committee. Before joining Raben, she was a partner at Actum and senior managing director of government affairs at an international law firm. Letty has helped nonprofit advocacy organizations secure federal investments in childcare, education, the workforce, and health care. Her government roles include chief of staff to Rep. DeLauro, managing labor and education appropriations, and Director of Labor for Senator Patty Murray and Rep. George Miller.
Jamal Simmons is a strategic communications expert with three decades of experience in government, media, and corporate affairs. He is a CNN commentator and was formerly deputy assistant to the president and communications director to Vice President Kamala Harris. Jamal has contributed to CBS News and NPR, hosted for Hill TV, and previously designed media training and policy campaigns at Raben. He co-chaired the Internet Innovation Alliance, co-founded a digital media start-up, and gained prominence as an Obama surrogate on CNN in 2008. Jamal is also a published opinion writer and holds degrees from Morehouse College and Harvard's Kennedy School.
Raben has offices in Washington, DC; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; and El Paso, TX, as well as senior staff in Austin + Fort Worth, TX; Seattle, WA; and Wisconsin.
SOURCE Raben Group
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