About Community Strategies

Founded in 2004, Community Strategies is an independently owned public affairs consultancy with offices in the Washington Metropolitan area. Clients include corporations, governments, industry associations and nonprofit organizations. Community Strategies is a recognized leader in leveraging the online medium, helping clients shape their reputation and influence issue environments nationally. Community Strategies provides strategic counsel and implementation support for a variety of businesses by helping them optimize their high-impact, advocacy campaigns.

Our Team

Michael C Gibson
Christina Kendall Gibson
Wes Farno

Michael C Gibson

President, Community Strategies

With over 14 years experience in grassroots lobbying , Mike Gibson created Community Strategies in 2004 where as president, he serves in the executive leadership role, oversees overall company operations, and also directly supervises all field operations and telephone outreach programs. With this experience in grassroots lobbying and the combination of long-term strategic perspective and hands-on project management, Gibson has been able to plan, implement and analyze grassroots campaigns of all types—educational and marketing, regulatory and legislative, local and national, high-volume and highly selective— incorporating a range of grassroots tactics.

Prior to establishing Community Strategies, Gibson was Executive Vice President of Operations, at the Direct Impact Company where he was employed for ten years. In this role, Gibson spearheaded the successful application of the company’s capabilities in direct education, public relations, advertising, grassroots media and marketing and other promotional campaigns. He directly oversaw and implemented Direct Impact’s most effective integrated grassroots programs. Gibson helped develop a bi partisan field network and create high touch direct contact center. Through these efforts, Gibson was able to build the unique contact patterns still utilized in grassroots campaigns today.

During his tenure, Gibson has made a special practice of local siting campaigns, creating and managing some of most successful grassroots efforts in the history of this industry. Gibson was involved in several campaigns for American Water Works one of which won a Silver Anvil Award. Gibson has also worked on other siting issues for clients such as; IKEA, Entergy Power, San Diego Gas & Electric, American University, Joe Robbie Stadium, Chicago Bears, and Pierre Water.

Prior to his tenure at Direct Impact, Gibson managed and assisted in the creation of grassroots efforts at the National Rifle Association. Gibson also was also employed at the Republican National Committee and a number of state and federal election campaigns. Gibson graduated from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, with a B.A. in economics.

Christina Kendall Gibson

Vice President

Christina Kendall Gibson, an accomplished “K Street” veteran, has more than eight years in extensive government relations experience with large national organizations in corporate, non-profit and for-profit sectors with a focus on leadership development through grassroots and political advocacy. Her expertise includes Strategic Planning, Grassroots and Coalition Development, Political Analysis & Strategy, Political Fundraising, and Political Action Committee Management.

Most recently, Ms.Gibson served as the Manager, PAC and Grassroots Programs for the leading Fortune 500 company, Abbott Laboratories. She supervised Abbott’s federal, one-million dollar PAC and six state PACs, while simultaneously managing federal grassroots initiatives, internally and externally on behalf of the company. Her primary grassroots responsibility was to maintain participation in third party coalitions such as the PhRMA Grassroots Coalition, the PhRMA working group, the Healthcare Leadership Council and AdvaMed.

Previously, Ms.Gibson worked for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). Here she developed 2003/2004 and 2005/2006 strategic political action plan and executed and facilitated the repositioning and branding of NAMIC’s new political action committee, NAMIC PAC and most recently the grassroots program entitled The MinuteMan Program. She excelled by almost tripling NAMIC PACs receipts and increasing political awareness within the organization. In this capacity Ms. Kendall Gibson also assisted member companies like Sentry: A Mutual Insurance Company, Nationwide Insurance Company and Auto-Owners Insurance Company in organizing successful political advocacy programs.

Before NAMIC, Ms. Gibson served as Director of Marketing, Political Programs for Democracy Data and Communications, a political communications company. In this capacity, she worked with over one hundred Fortune 500 companies and leading trade associations to strengthen ties to lawmakers and influence policies which impact the profitability of their companies. She advised clients such as Microsoft, Pfizer, IBM, the American Chemistry Council, the Association of American Railroads and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Gibson started her political career at the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), where she assisted in development and implementation of Project 2000/2002 political action plan, a groundbreaking political advocacy program. Her assistance in launching and managing national grassroots operations was beneficial and helped to create the customized Internet site that BIPAC offers today. While at BIPAC, Ms. Gibson advised clients such as 3M, General Motors, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, the National Association of Manufacturers, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and the Food Marketing Institute.

Ms. Gibson’s professional affiliations include previously serving as a Board Member for the National Association of Business PACs, and as the Co-Chair, PACs, Politics & Grassroots, Women in Government Relations and the Women’s Congressional Golf Association. In addition to volunteer work on many political campaigns, she has spoken at many events on the importance of political advocacy. Ms. Kendall is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Ms. Gibson holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland.

Wes Farno

Director of Grassroots Activities

Wes Farno joins Community Strategies as the Director of Grassroots Activities. His responsibilities include the day to day management of grassroots outreach programs for CSI.

Prior to joining CSI, Mr. Farno operated his own political consulting business focusing on Congressional races throughout Ohio and South Carolina. He has also served members of the United States Senate, Ohio Legislature, and the Ohio Republican Party as well as the Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Commissioner Dixie Allen.

Mr. Farno has served as a distinguished member of the firm, JSN Associates. During his tenure with JSN, Mr. Farno worked alongside Community Strategies as a Project Coordinator in Ohio. He is past President of the Young Republicans of Montgomery County and President of “Freedom to Decide”.

Mr. Farno graduated with a Bachelors degree in Marketing from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides with his fiancé and her four children in Dayton, Ohio.

Careers

For information about careers at Community Strategies contact: info@csgrassroots.com