As FCP celebrates our 25th anniversary, the milestone calls for gratitude above all. No organization can do it alone, and there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of individuals who nudged us toward ongoing success. This list is just the beginning of the compilation of those who helped us get here. If you are mentioned…thank you. If you are not, please know that our collaborations were essential to FCP’s growth and success.
Aimee Fisher — wife, co-founder, and leader of the mindset that pushed FCP toward philanthropy and non-profits as our core clients. She has been a cheerleader in the good times and a thought partner in the difficult ones.
Sarah Hersh-Walker — the best partner anyone could ask for. You are a super-talented communicator and an innovative team leader. Your innovation in creating “fear-free triage” is a model of enlightened leadership.
To my current FCP colleagues — our team is talented, represents a diversity of skills and thought, and weathers the changing landscape of communications with great aplomb. I admire each of you and am grateful for your continued collaboration.
To everyone who ever worked for FCP — we would not have made it to this moment without you. Every client you served, every moment you represented FCP, you did with great integrity and grit. FCP at 25 wouldn’t have happened without you, and I wish you massive success in all your personal and professional endeavors.
Larry Krutchik — co-founder of the 2000s and 2010s Public Affairs juggernaut, The Edison Group. In our early years, FCP benefited from client hand-offs and collaborations with the Edison Group team. Thank you for believing in FCP’s ability to deliver results in California for your national clients.
Kristen Grimm — from one coffee shop meeting, you recommended FCP as a resource to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. That one act of generosity and the mentorship that accompanied it gave us a huge burst of momentum as we entered the world of social change communications. Your firm, Spitfire, is a model for our industry. I have tried to embody your spirit of generosity and encourage fellow firms to do the same.
Melissa Daar Carvajal — longtime leader and collaborator at FCP. Thank you for inventing many of the internal systems and for your relentless focus on deliverables that remain embedded in our organizational DNA. You never wavered on your belief that the FCP team could “punch above its weight” and be a friendly competitor and leader in this field.
Lois Salisbury, Linda Baker, Gene Lewitt, and Chris DeCardy — as the program and communications leaders at the Packard Foundation, you trusted a young, wild-eyed communicator and his tiny team to try something new and different in philanthropy communications. We did great work together, and you demonstrated patience with a growing organization like ours, and I have never taken that for granted.
Robert Phillips — you are a friend, a mentor, and a leader I admire. You asked FCP to collaborate with nearly every organization you led, and for that, I am thankful. Even more, your restlessness against the status quo meant always thinking far beyond the expected and pushing the boundaries of the possible.
Barbara Leslie and Zack Wasserman — as longtime leaders of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, you never wavered in your belief that Oakland is a great city and should have a strong voice for the employers and employees that drive its growth. You have shown me how to build bridges and taken courageous stands that most chambers would sidestep.
Bryan Schwartz and Larry Organ — helping you launch and maintain the civil rights lawsuits against Tesla provided significant meaning to a recovering lawyer such as me. Over the years, FCP has led media relations for numerous attorneys, securing redress for their clients, but this high-profile, critical attempt to seek justice was personally and professionally meaningful.
Jeannette Dong — a multiple-time client, you created an innovative model for outsourcing PR services to an elected official. You allowed FCP to work with a fantastic leader, the late Hon. Wilma Chan. In addition, you and your office led efforts like All-In Alameda, which brought together allies in new ways to advocate for greater expansion and the successful delivery of health and human services.
Hon. Wilma Chan — I have never met a more dedicated, innovative, creative, and all-in elected official who wielded the power of elected office to improve lives the way Wilma did. She quietly impacted millions of lives and sought the media spotlight only to leverage the potential to serve more.
Kim McCoy Wade — also a multiple-time client, thank you for asking FCP to be your thought partner and implementation leader on the Health and Human Services Network of California. Bringing together 400 diverse voices to advocate collectively, especially before the advent of social media, was a considerable challenge and, over a decade, led to remarkable successes.
To a network of trusted contractors — Dan Newman being the first, followed by Sev and Nina Williams, leading all the way to Terri Hardesty, Anastasia Ordonez, Sean Trambley, and Annette Majerowicz. Your flexibility and willingness to provide backup when FCP was overloaded meant that we could not only remain fearless marketers but also know that, no matter the scope of opportunities presented, we could deliver high-quality services. Open collaboration is never easy, and each of you approached it with grace.
Debra Kay — you are more than a bookkeeper. You are a 15-year financial partner in our fantastic success. You never wavered from a belief that no matter how good or bad the books might look, FCP was an organization of great people, doing great work. For that alone, I am thankful.
Eric Brown and Daniel Silverman — as respective leaders at two of the world’s largest philanthropies, you repeatedly asked FCP to serve as your communications partner. Sometimes the projects were pro-forma; other times, they required delicacy and our utmost creativity. In addition, the two of you are leaders, among many, in professionalizing our field and demanding that, even as nonprofit and philanthropy communicators, we must deliver results with the utmost integrity and creativity. It means the world to us that you trusted us to be your partners and that you remain trusted peers.
Amanda Flores — from one conversation, dozens of projects emerged. I am so thankful that FCP has its place among your trusted communications partners. Across the years, you challenged us to be at our creative best to serve the Rainin Foundation. We are thankful for the opportunities you presented to us.
Joshua Steinberger and Marissa Giller — thank you for welcoming us to the Tipping Point family and for trusting us on some critical and high-profile efforts. We wish you massive success as you continue to grow Band Together Communications.
Josh Cook — you are a friend and collaborator. You have always provided a fresh view on California’s present and future that challenged groupthink. You always ask questions that require us to push back on assumptions and build stronger and more compelling arguments.
Jennifer Loving — you have always trusted FCP to help challenge how our communities think about housing for those experiencing homelessness. We are grateful for the years of collaboration and for how much we have learned from your fierce advocacy.
FCP’s research partners — including Ruth Bernstein at EMC, Mathematica Policy Research, the Rand Corporation, and Adam Probolsky at Probolsky Research. Your qualitative and quantitative insights have helped FCP change the public dialogue on critical issues facing California, the West, and our nation.
The City of Oakland — you were our home for most of these 25 years. Oakland’s diversity, energy, and complexity live in our passion to make the world better and its opportunities more accessible for all. Thank you for never letting us be complacent in our work to drive social change.
The Ellis Partners Team — for over a decade, you asked FCP to be your communications partner on the critical investments you made to reinvigorate Jack London Square. The work was meaningful and helped FCP develop an entirely new expertise in communicating about civic infrastructure and the power of real estate investment to transform a community.
For many years and for years to come, FCP will continue to help clients tell their stories through the media. Yet the field is changing, almost beyond recognition. We are thankful for every reporter who has invested time and energy with our clients to tell world-changing stories that improve lives.
As noted, this list is far from complete. I may take the privilege of expanding and building on it as reflections allow. Thank you again to each and every one of you who has played a role in helping FCP thrive across these decades.